Morocco was the primary driver behind North Africa overtaking Western and Central Europe in cannabis resin seizures in 2024, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) World Drug Report 2026.
Increased confiscations within Morocco, and a decline across several key European countries, including Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal led to higher recorded cannabis resin in North Africa compared with Western and Central Europe in 2024.
The UNODC highlighted this shift as one of the most notable regional developments in its latest assessment.
Historically, global cannabis resin seizures have remained concentrated in three primary regions: Western and Central Europe, North Africa, and the Near and Middle East/South-West Asia. However, intensified law enforcement efforts within Morocco shifted the regional balance, placing North Africa ahead of Europe in total resin volume seized.
According to the report, worldwide cannabis resin seizures have declined by more than 50% since 2020, suggesting a reduction in global resin trafficking even as herbal cannabis seizures have remained at relatively high levels.
While the UNODC report does not disclose exact national seizure figures, it explicitly attributes North Africa’s regional rise to Morocco, making the Kingdom the sole country singled out as the principal contributor to the regional increase.
Morocco has long served as one of the world’s primary source countries for cannabis resin bound for European consumer markets. In response, Moroccan authorities have significantly intensified interdiction operations along key domestic and maritime trafficking corridors in recent years.
In parallel with anti-trafficking operations, Morocco has established a comprehensive legal framework to regulate cannabis cultivation. Under Law 13-21, the Kingdom legally permits cultivation strictly for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes. This dual strategy aims to integrate traditional farming zones into licit economic supply chains while dismantling organized crime networks.
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