Cannabis

• Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EU body or agency), Europol (EU body or agency)
• Pages: 82-101

82

Key points

Cannabis in Europe

 Cannabis is the biggest drug market in the EU and

amajor source of income for the criminal economy.

With around 25 million people reporting having used

the drug in the past year, the retail market for cannabis

is conservatively estimated to be worth at least

EUR11.6billion.

 Europe is amajor cannabis producer; it is estimated that

at least 20000 cannabis cultivation sites are dismantled in

the EU each year, although the number of sites producing

cannabis at any given time is likely to be much higher.

 Diversity in OCG involvement and levels of intergroup

violence appear to be increasing. OCGs of Moroccan origin

still play amajor role in cannabis resin tracking, and

groups of Dutch origin especially, but also of Vietnamese

origin, are important for large-scale production. However,

more generally, involvement in the cannabis market can

be an important cash generator for both established and

emerging OCGs, leading to increased intergroup violence.

 e cannabis market is becoming more diverse and

complex. Illicitly produced herbal cannabis and cannabis

resin continue to be the most commonly used forms of

cannabis and tend to be much more potent than in the

past. e market now also includes high-potency cannabis

oils, synthetic cannabinoids, cannabis and cannabinoid

products and preparations intended for medical use, and

an increasing number of cannabidiol (CBD) or low-THC

products being sold in arange of forms. e regulatory

status of these varies considerably, posing new challenges

for law enforcement, regulation and monitoring.

 Consumption estimates generally appear stable, with

around one in seven young adults (aged 15-34) in the EU

reporting having used cannabis in the last year, although

there are recent signs of increases in younger age cohorts

in some countries.

Developments in production and

tracking

 Production near to, or by, consumers creates additional

challenges for law enforcement. Alarge proportion of the

herbal cannabis consumed in the EU is grown there, closer

to its place of consumption, rather than being imported

from outside the EU, reducing the need to trac the drug

across external borders and lowering the risk of interdiction.

is and how to address small-scale production, which

is tolerated in some Member States, creates amore

challenging landscape for law enforcement actions.

 Morocco’s Rif Mountains are the region of origin of

most of the cannabis resin available in Europe. Increased

cooperation with European cannabis producers appears

to explain the spread of high-yield, high-potency varieties

of cannabis in this region and therefore the increase in the

potency of cannabis resin observed in Europe over the last

10 years.

 Cannabis production causes arange of environmental

harms. In Morocco it has been associated with soil

erosion, deforestation and water security issues, probably

exacerbated by the introduction of new plant strains. In the

EU, production is also linked to environmental, and health

and safety risks.

 Diusion is evident in cannabis resin tracking routes.

While Spain remains the main entry point into the EU, the

CHAPTER 3

Cannabis

EU DRUG MARKETS REPORT

83

tracking of resin produced in Morocco and Lebanon now

aects the Mediterranean Sea region as awhole, following

the emergence of Libya as amajor storage and transit hub

for the drug.

 e Netherlands and Spain are commonly identied as

the source of origin of seizures made by EU countries. In

addition, despite eorts to counter production, the Western

Balkans, and Albania in particular, appears to remain an

important source of origin for herbal cannabis seizures.

 e frequency of small-volume online cannabis sales is

increasing. Although the scale is currently small compared

with traditional retail markets, it has considerable potential

to grow.

Implications for action to address

current threats and increase

preparedness

To identify and respond to new threats related to the

cannabis market there is aneed to take the following

actions.

■Give high priority to sharing information and best

practice on law enforcement strategies to detect

signicant cannabis production sites in the EU,

including models for cooperation with relevant utility

services, and strengthen the standardised reporting of

interdiction activities in this area.

■Improve the monitoring and assess the impact of

trends in cannabis products available on the EU

markets. is requires better forensic evidence on the

content and sources of cannabis seizures as well as

the identication of any new higher-potency forms of

cannabis appearing on the market.

■Invest greater eorts in monitoring, analysis and

information sharing to understand the dynamics

of cannabis tracking and production in countries

bordering the EU. Crop-monitoring programmes in

close cooperation with important countries such as

Albania and Morocco would contribute to this.

■Strengthen EU interagency cooperation and develop

targeted enforcement actions to identify and respond

to any threats resulting from Libya’s emerging role as

asignicant storage and transit country.

■Follow closely and assess the implications for

the cannabis market, and the potential risks, of

commercial, medical and regulatory developments

occurring internationally and within EU Member States.

Strengthen coordination of activities at EU level to

ensure that the roles and responsibilities of various

partners, including law enforcement and regulatory

bodies, are well articulated.

CHAPTER 3

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Cannabis