Photos of cannabis cultivation in Morocco in 2019

Cannabis cultivation in Morocco (2019)

ENG: Photos of cannabis cultivation in July 2019 in the Rif, Morocco.

FR: Photos de la culture de cannabis en juillet 2019 dans le Rif, Maroc.

Cannabis cultivation in the northern Rif region of Morocco is currently undergoing its most significant evolution since the hashish industry emerged in the 1960s and dramatically developed in the 1980s. Since then, Morocco’s cannabis industry has transformed once more, following the introduction of feminized seed varieties in the late 1990s, the subsequent development of greatly-improved cultivation methods, and the production of high-potency modern extracts in the 2010s.

Fieldwork in July 2019 indicates that the adoption of high yielding varieties has now spread to the entire Rif region, with the Critical strain now being ubiquitous. Yet the kif or beldia cultivar / landrace seems to make a timid comeback as hashish made from the kif / beldia cultivar now sells for a premium, up to five time the price charged for the hashish made from the Critical strain, most likely because of a market saturation provoked by the near monoculture of the Critical strain.

For more details see Pierre-Arnaud Chouvy & Jennifer Macfarlane, 2018, Agricultural Innovations in Morocco’s Cannabis Industry, International Journal of Drug Policy, Volume 58, pp. 85–91 (49 742 signes). PDF Full Text.