Strain Hunters Morocco Expedition

The Strain Hunters decided to continue on the quest to find the best hashish and the landraces it comes from, this time in Morocco.

The large majority of the hashish produced worldwide (up to 70% of the total annual world production) comes from a relatively small mountain region in the North of Morocco, called Rif. In Dutch coffeeshops the sales of Moroccan hashish are one of the backbones of the industry, already since the 1970s. And from London to Rome to Madrid to Cape Town, Moroccan hashish is consumed daily by huge numbers of people. Moroccan hashish was first produced after Asian and Arab merchants introduced the cannabis plant to the region, between 1000 and 1200 years ago. But it wasn’t until recently that hashish production reached export-levels, becoming the number one commercial output in the region of the Rif, and representing a significant proportion of Morocco’s GDP.

There are social and historical reasons to this: the Berbers, inhabitants of the Rif, always maintained their independence from the Arab dynasties ruling the Country. But they were crucial in fighting European colonial powers for the formation of modern Morocco.

Since the independence of Morocco from colonial powers in the 1950s, hashish has become a very sought-after commodity, especially in Europe. This demand sprouced a rapid process of organization and restructuring of local society in function of hashish producrion on a large, almost industrial scale…