Is Marijuana Legal in Amsterdam

Is Marijuana Legal in Amsterdam?

This article has a focus on the law and enforcement aspects of growing, transporting, selling and using cannabis. For other aspects, see cannabis.
Many countries have laws regarding the cultivation, possession, supply or use of cannabis (hemp). Non-psychoactive cannabis products (e.g. fibre and seed) are legal in many countries, and these countries may license cultivation for these purposes. The herb is a controlled substance in most, though its use is condoned in some locales for medicinal purposes. In some countries, such as Portugal, cannabis drug material is legal for personal use, though restrictions do apply to its sale, distribution or consumption, and the legal limit is 25g. In many countries the consumption of cannabis is legal although it is illegal to possess, sell or distribute it or allow others to consume it on one's property. If the amount of cannabis a person possessed is considered as "minor", charges may be dropped. In the U.S.A (nationwide, in 2004) a person is arrested on "marijuana charges" every 42 seconds, on average. Most other countries have very strict laws against even the possession or consumption of cannabis.

Contents [hide]
1 Criminalization
1.1 Decriminalization campaign in United States
1.2 Decriminalization campaign in the United Kingdom
1.3 Decriminalization campaign in Canada
1.4 Decriminalization campaign in the Netherlands
2 Use of capital punishment against the cannabis trade
3 Cannabis for non-drug purposes
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Criminalization
Cannabis was criminalized across most of the world in the early parts of the 20th century. The reasons for and approaches to criminalization vary from country to country, but the most substantial factor in global terms has been the influence of the drug policies of successive United States federal administrations, as embodied in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics, founded in 1930, and its successor, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, formed in 1973. Through these and other agencies, the U.S. government energetically lobbied both nationally and internationally from 1930 onwards for the criminalization of cannabis and its use, and the campaign was largely successful.

At a 1925 conference to amend the International Opium Convention, Egypt and other nations complained of abuse problems with hashish and proposed requiring Parties to prohibit non-medical, non-scientific use of the drug. India and others, citing traditional uses of the drug and its prevalence as a wild-growing plant, successfully watered down the provision to only ban export of cannabis to countries whose domestic laws prohibited its use[1].

In the United Kingdom, cultivation and use of cannabis was generally outlawed in 1928. In the United States, the use of cannabis and other drugs came under increasing scrutiny after the formation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930, headed by crusading Prohibitionist Harry J. Anslinger. As part of the government's broader push to outlaw all drugs including alcohol, the FBN encouraged efforts to "educate" the public about drugs and this produced a number of highly sensationalised propaganda films which sought to demonise cannabis (or at least to capitalise on fears about it).

The most famous of these films is Reefer Madness (1936). It was originally produced as an educational film by a church group and released under the title Tell Your Children. It might have been forgotten, but it was obtained and subjected to a radical re-edit by the notorious American 'exploitation' film-maker Dwain Esper, who intercut the existing footage with highly sensational inserts. The resulting hybrid depicted cannabis smoking as the cause of every form of sin, depravity and immorality, up to and including murder. Whether these films were effective at the time is debatable, and Reefer Madness and similar works largely disappeared from view after their initial screenings. It was not until 1971 that the pro-cannabis lobby group NORML, realising the unintended parodic quality of the work, began screening a restored print at pro-pot festivals. It became a major cult hit when distributed on American college campuses, and this is reported to have been a major early success for the New Line Cinema organisation.

In the United States, the significant legislation was the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, a federal culmination of many separate state laws that had been enacted in the previous years. Some claim that the U.S. laws may have been in response to lobbying by makers of synthetic fibers that competed with hemp. While hemp was not their main competitor, it was a much easier target than cotton or wool, for example. Critics of the American prohibition have also pointed to the possiblity that there was a racial underpinning to the criminalisation of marijuana in America, since it was know to be a popular and widely-used recreational drug in the African-American and Latino communities. Nevertheless, the prohibition was strenuously resisted in some quarters, with New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia becoming one of the new law's most prominent and outspoken critics.

The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs finally did prohibit all non-medical, non-scientific cannabis use. However, tincture of cannabis remained available in the UK as a prescription only drug (POM) until it was banned in 1971 under the then new Misuse of Drugs Act. The international restrictions on recreational use of cannabis were further strengthened by the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

Laws usually govern distribution, cultivation, and possession for personal use. Enforcement of the law varies from country to country. Large-scale marijuana growing operations are frequently targeted by police in raids to attack the supply side and discourage the spread and marketing of the drug, though the great majority of those in prison for cannabis are either there for simple possession or small scale dealing.

There have been over seven million cannabis arrests in the United States since 1993, including 755,186 arrests in 2003. Cannabis users have been arrested at the rate of 1 every 42 seconds. About 88% of all marijuana arrests are for possession-not manufacture or distribution. (FBI Uniform Crimes Report)

Decriminalization campaign in United States
After 1969, a time categorized by widespread use of cannabis as a recreational drug, a wave of legislation in America sought to reduce the penalties for the simple possession of marijuana, making it punishable by confiscation and/or a fine rather than imprisonment. Decriminalization is a drug supply-side control strategy that discourages users, but largely removes them from the criminal justice system, while imposing stiff penalties on those who traffic and sell the drug on the black market. Some of the first examples of this adjustment in drug policy were found in Alabama, when state judges decided to no longer impose five year mandatory minimum sentences for small possession (one marijuana cigarette); Missouri, when their legislature reformed statutes that made second possession offences no longer punishable by life in prison; and in Georgia, when that state revised second sale offences to minors no longer punishable by death.

Soon after these developments, an official decriminalization movement was started in 1973 with Oregon prompting other states, like Colorado, Alaska, Ohio, and California, to follow suit in 1975. By 1978, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, and Nebraska also had some form of marijuana decriminalization. In 2001, Nevada reduced marijuana possession from a felony offence to a misdemeanor. [2]

Regardless of these states' rights, decriminalization was never adopted as a national affair, principally because U.S. Congress disagrees with passing a version of legislation on the federal level. However, several petitions for cannabis rescheduling in the United States have been filed to remove marijuana from the "Schedule I" category of tightly-restricted drugs that have no medical use. The Controlled Substance Act allows the executive branch to decriminalize medical and recreational use of marijuana without any action by Congress; however, such an initiative would depend on the findings of the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services on certain scientific and medical issues specified by the Act. [3]

Issues regarding the unalienable Right to Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness expressed in the Declaration of Independence have at times been raised in the debate, arguing that those imprisoned for cannabis use are de facto political prisoners .[4]

In 2005, libertarian economist Milton Friedman and more than 500 other economists, called for the legalization of marijuana in an open letter to the President, Congress, Governors, and State Legislatures of the United States.

On November 1, 2005, the city of Denver, Colorado passed in a 53%-46% vote to legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for adults over 21 [5].

On February 16, 2006, the Herald News Online reported that the Joint Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee of the Massachusetts General Court voted 6-1 in favor of a bill that would decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana. Rather than face criminal charges, offenders would face a civil fine of $250. [6]

See Cannabis rescheduling in the United States

Decriminalization campaign in the United Kingdom
Main article: Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom

Decriminalization campaign in Canada
Main article: Cannabis legalization in Canada

The cultivation and possession of cannabis is currently illegal in Canada, with exceptions only for medical usage. However, the use of cannabis by the general public is broadly tolerated, and a vigorous campaign to legalize cannabis is underway nation-wide.

Decriminalization campaign in the Netherlands
Main article:Drug policy of the Netherlands

Use of capital punishment against the cannabis trade
Several countries have either carried out or legislated capital punishment for cannabis use or trafficking. This list is correct, but may be incomplete.

Country Status Notes
Saudi Arabia Frequently used An Iraqi man named Mattar bin Bakhit al-Khazaali was convicted of smuggling hashish and was executed in the northern town of Arar, close to the Iraqi border.
Indonesia Available In 1997, the Indonesian government added the death penalty as a punishment for those convicted of drugs in their country. The law has yet to be enforced on any significant, well-established drug dealers. Rather, the trend has been to execute unknown, first time, alleged drug traffickers, who don't have a significant amount of money to bribe the authorities to set them free. The former Indonesian President, Megawati Sukarnoputri announced Indonesia's intent to implement a fierce war on drugs in 2002. She called for the execution of all drug dealers. "For those who distribute drugs, life sentences and other prison sentences are no longer sufficient," she said. "No sentence is sufficient other than the death sentence." Indonesia's new president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also proudly supports executions for drug dealers. [7]
Malaysia Has been used Mustaffa Kamal Abdul Aziz, 38 years old, and Mohd Radi Abdul Majid, 53 years old, were executed at dawn on January 17, 1996, for the trafficking of 1.2 kilograms of cannabis. [8]
Philippines Frequently Used The Philippines introduced stronger anti-drug laws, including the death penalty, in 2002. [9] Possession of over 500 grams of marijuana usually earns execution in the Philippines, as does prosessing over ten grams of opium, morphine, heroin, ecstasy, or cocaine.
United Arab Emirates Sentenced In the United Arab Emirates city of Fujairah, a woman named Lisa Tray was sentenced to death in December 2004, after being found guilty of possessing and dealing hashish. Undercover officers in Fujairah claim they caught Tray with 149 grams of hashish. Tray claims that her stepfather had given her the bag of hashish to deliver to someone, but didn't know its contents. Her lawyers have appealed the sentence.
Thailand Frequently Used Death penalty is possible for drug offences under Thai law. Extra-judicial killings also alleged. [10]
Singapore Frequently Used Death penalty carried out many times for cannabis trafficking. (July 20 2004) A convicted drug trafficker, Raman Selvam Renganathan, 39, who stored 2.7 kilogrammes of cannabis or marijuana in a Singapore flat was hanged in Changi Prison. He was sentenced to death last September 1 after an eight-day trial. (The Straits Times, July 20 2004).
People's Republic of China Frequently Used Death penalty is exercised regularly for drug offences under Chinese law, often in an annual frenzy corresponding to the United Nations' International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking [11] The government does not make precise records public, however Amnesty International estimates that around 500 people are executed there each year for drug offenses. Those executed have typically been convicted of smuggling or trafficking in anything from cannabis to methamphetamine.
United States Available Speaker Newt Gingrich (himself an admitted former marijuana smoker [12]) in 1996 proposed to introduce a mandatory death penalty for a second offense of smuggling 50 grams of marijuana into the United States, in the proposed law H.R. 4170[13].
The proposal failed. Under the 1994 Crime Act, the threshold for sentencing a death penalty in relation to marijuana is the involvement with the cultivation or distribution of 60,000 marijuana plants (or seedlings) or 60,000 kilograms of marijuana.

The death penalty is also possible for running a continuing criminal enterprise that distributes marijuana and receives more than $20 million in proceeds in one year, regardless of the weight of marijuana involved.

Cannabis for non-drug purposes
Main article: Hemp.
Hemp is the common name for cannabis and the name most used (in English) when this annual herb is grown for non-drug purposes. These include the industrial purposes for which cultivation licences may be issued in the European Union (EU). When grown for industrial purposes hemp is called, often, industrial hemp, and a common product is fibre for use in a variety of different ways. Fuel is often a by-product of hemp cultivation.

Hemp may be grown also for food (the seed) but in the UK at least (and probably in other EU countries) cultivation licences are not available for this purpose. Within Defra (the UK's Department for the Environment, Food and the Rural Affairs) hemp is treated as purely a non-food crop, despite the fact that seed can and does appear on the UK market as a perfectly legal food product.

In the UK, at least, the seed and fibre have been always perfectly legal products. Cultivation for non drug purposes was however completely prohibited from 1928 until circa 1998, when Home Office industrial-purpose licences became available under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

If industrial strains of the herb are intended for legal use within the EU then they are bred to be compliant with regulations which limit potential THC content to 0.3%. (THC content is a measure of the herb's drug potential and can reach 20% or more in drug strains). In Canada the THC limit is 1%.

Millennia of selective breeding have resulted in varieties that look quite different. Also, breeding since circa 1930 has focussed quite specifically on producing strains which would perform very poorly as sources of drug material.

Hemp grown for fibre is planted closely, resulting in tall, slender plants with long fibers. Ideally, according to Defra in 2004, the herb should be harvested before it flowers. This early cropping is because fibre quality begins to decline as flowering starts and, incidentally, this cropping also pre-empts the herb’s maturity as potentially a source of drug material. UK licence conditions actually oblige farmers, however, to allow some flowering so that flower material can be tested for its drug potential.

Different Types of Marijuana

The scientific name being “Cannabis Sativa.” Cannabis is the short name for the hemp plant. It is thought to have originated in Asia an then reached Europe more than a thousand years ago. It now thrives in most any climate. Spreading like milkweed or thistle, crowding out neighboring grasses an reaching heights of 3 to 20 feet at maturity. Marijuana has been cultivated for the last 5,000 years; it is one of the most oldest agricultural commodities not grown for food. The stalks of the plant contain fibers that have been woven millennia to make rope, canvas, an paper. Cannabis is dioecious, spawning male an female plants in equal proportion. The flowering buds of the female secrete a sticky yellow resin rich with cannabinoids, the more than 60 compounds in marijuana. Marijuana, hashish and hashish oil come from this plant. Marijuana is the Mexican colloquial name for the plant known to botanists as Cannabis Sativa. In various forms it has long been familiar through out the world: In Africa it is known as “dagga,” in China it is known as “ma,” an in Northern Europe it is known as “hemp.” It also has various nicknames in the U.S. such as “weed, pot, reefer, grass, dope, ganja, Mary Jane, sinsemilla, hash, herb, Aunt Mary, skunk, boom, kif, gangster, chronic, mull, leaf, green, and bud.” You may ask yourself asking the question, “What is Marijuana?” The answer to that would be Marijuana is made from dried leaves and flowers of the plant and is the most widely used form of drug. Its color ranges from grayish-green to greenish-brown. The texture of the marijuana can be fine, with the appearance of dried herbs or dried parsley, or course, like tea. It is usually smoked in handrolled cigarettes called ‘joints’ or water pipes called ‘bongs’. Another way of using the drug is eating it. (Note: eating the leaves or herbs of the marijuana plant can not have an effect on you if it is not baked in some sort of way.) Many people wonder, “ What is the drug in cannabis?” The cannabis plant contains a chemical called THC ( delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) which affects many of the bodies functions. The amount of THC varies in different parts of the plant. For example, the flowers of the female plant have more THC than the stems or leaves. Smoking cannabis is the most common method of use. When it is smoked, THC is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the lungs. The “high” effect of the drug is felt when the THC reaches the brain. The time varies on how long this can last, depending on how much is smoked (or eaten), an also what kind of marijuana it is, there are many different types of marijuana some stronger than others. When cannabis is eaten, the absorption of the THC is much slower, taking 1 to 3 hours for THC to reach the bloodstream, delaying the onset of the effects. The amount of food in the stomach an other characteristics of the user will also determine how quickly the user feels the effects. After smoking marijuana, an occasional user can fail a urine test 3 days after smoking a single joint, and a heavy user may test positive after abstaining from marijuana for more than a month. Cannabis is difficult to classify pharmacologically since its effects vary. It is primarily a depressant; however, it can have hallucinogenic properties. Several of the chemicals in marijuana are psychoactive, most prominently THC. According to the Council of Alcohol an Drug Abuse Association; marijuana contains over 400 toxins an cancer-causing chemicals( although marijuana is often used to prevent cancer) including THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, which are stored in the fat cells for as long as 14 to 30 days. Marijuana can also cause the user to develop tolerance, increasing the need for more and more in order to experience the expected high. Some of the effects of marijuana use include increased heart rate, dryness of mouth(commonly known as “cotton mouth”) , bloodshot or reddening of eyes, impaired or reduced short term memory, impaired or reduced comprehension, tendency to talk or laugh more than usual, increased appetite ( the “munchies” ), tunnel awareness( where the person focuses their awareness on one thing an ignores all others),altered sense of time, restlessness, detachment from reality, reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration an coordination, such as driving a car. Also altered motivation an cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult, paranoia, psychological dependence, impairments in learning and in memory perception, judgement- difficulty speaking, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving an forming concepts, and intense anxiety or panic attacks, .hallucinations, and fantasies. These symptoms usually disappear when the effects of the cannabis wears off. The effects of cannabis will vary from person to person depending on the characteristics of the: Individual (user) – for example: Mood, psychical size, weight, health, gender, previous experience with cannabis , expectations of the drug and personality; Drug – for example: The amount used, the content of THC an whether the drug is smoked or eaten; Setting (environment) – Whether the person is using with friends, or on his/her own, in a social setting or at home. Illicit drug use has shown a steady increase during the 1990’s, particularly for marijuana. Among 8th graders, annual prevalence tripled from 6% in 1991 to 18% in 1996. For 10th graders, that rate has more than doubled from a low point in 1992 of 15% to 34% in 1996. 12th graders usage increased by nearly two thirds, from 22% in 1992 to 36% in 1996. Nearly 1 in 20% of high school seniors is a current daily marijuana user; 1 of every 30 10th grader uses marijuana daily. The long term health effects of chronic marijuana use is a great controversy. Marijuana does not create a physical dependence in users, but it does create a psychological dependence in some. People who smoke marijuana are far more likely to experiment later with other psychoactive drugs. Extended use of marijuana includes risks to the lungs and reproductive system. Smoking marijuana seems to damage the pulmonary system, in some of the ways that inhaling tabacco smoke does. The physician Donald Tashkin, of the University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center, has done a study of people who have smoked 4 or 5 joints a day for more than ten years, an has found substantial evidence that marijuana smoke can cause chronic bronchitis, changes in cells of the central airway which are potentially pre- cancerous, and an impairment in scavenger-cell function, which could lead to greater risk of respiratory infection. A joint seems to deliver 4 times as much carcinogenic tar as a tobacco cigarette of the same size. Smoking both greatly increases the risk of developing emphysema, cancer and other lung diseases. Tashkin expects that some heavy marijuana users will eventually suffer cancers of the mouth, throat, and lungs, although none of his research subjects has yet developed a malignancy. Oddly enough the more potent strains of marijuana may prove less dangerous, since less of them is needs to be smoked. Cannabis an pregnancy should not be mixed, most drugs can affect an unborn child. It is not wise to use any drugs during pregnancy. It is known that THC does pass through the placenta an reaches the baby. It can also pass into the mother’s milk after birth. Some studies linked reduced growth of the baby, by both weight an length, in the uterus. And the usage of cannabis by pregnant women. There is much less disagreement about the short-term health effects of marijuana. According to physician Leo Hollister, a former president of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, says that the occasional use of marijuana by a healthy adult poses no greater risk than the moderate consumption of alcohol. However, marijuana should not be smoked by schizophrenics, pregnant women, an people with heart conditions. Although the misuse of over the counter medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and antihistamines each year kills hundreds of Americans, not a single death has ever been credibly attributed directly to smoking or consuming marijuana in the 5,000 years of the plants recorded use. Marijuana is one of the few therapeutically active substances known to man for which there is no well-defined fatal dose. It has been estimated that a person would have to smoke a 100 pounds of marijuana a minute for 15 minutes in order to induce a fatal response. The use of cannabis and other drugs increases risks. When cannabis is combined with alcohol it can frequently lead to behaviour which causes injuries. For example, because cannabis interferes with a person’s motor and coordination skills, vision and perceptions of time and space, a person’s ability to drive safely and complete tasks that require concentration can be impaired. This impairment increases substantially when cannabis is used with alcohol. According to a publishing put out by the Health Department of Western Australia, some problems associated with the use of marijuana are all drugs can be expensive to buy. The price of cannabis varies depending on the availability, how it is grown, quality of the marijuana, and market trends. Drug use can lead to social and emotional problems as well as the cost. Marijuana can effect a person’s relationship with family an friends. For example, one of the effects of cannabis can be loss of inhibitions. This in turn may lead to embarrassing or regrettable situations. When there is illegal drug usage going on there has to be law. In western Australia, it is against the law to possess, grow, manufacture, trade or use any cannabis products. The penalties include fines of between $2,000 and $100,000 and/or a prison term of 2 to 25 years. The penalty will vary according to the quantity of the drug involved. It is not illegal to sell or display water pipes( bongs ) provided that there are no traces of cannabis in them; however, the use of a bong or possession of used equipment can result in a $3,000 fine or 3 years imprisonment. Anyone convicted on a cannabis charge will receive a criminal record. This can cause difficulties in getting a job, credit and visa’s for overseas travel. It is shown that it is safer not to use cannabis at all. If; however, you use the drug or know someone who is using the drug remember that: Smoking cannabis can lead to similar health effects as smoking tobacco. Don’t drive or operate machinery. These activities may be dangerous while under the influence of cannabis. Because using cannabis can have harmful effects, users can be in dangerous situations. Therefore, they should not be left alone. If a situation becomes unsafe call for help immediately.

Cannabis Seeds UK

Cannabis Seeds UK
The increases in potency—and ramifications thereof—have been exaggerated by many opponents of cannabis use both in and out of government. In the United States, government advertisements encourage parents to disregard their own experience with cannabis when speaking to their children, on the premise that pot today is significantly stronger and thus more dangerous than that which they themselves might have smoked in the past. In a general pattern of proposing reverses in cannabis rescheduling, the UK government is considering scheduling stronger cannabis (skunk, in local parlance) as a separate, more restricted substance.

Many cannabis proponents disagree vehemently, reasoning that as one must smoke less cannabis to achieve the same effect, it actually is safer and less potentially carcinogenic in the long run than that which was smoked in earlier times. That is why the need for high quality cannabis seeds in the UK.

Smoking Hashish

Smoking Hashish

Smoking Hashish in Morocco
From Anouk Zijlma,

Kif in the Rif
If you are visiting Morocco and you're hauling a backpack, you will probably be offered hashish (a form of marijuana) several times on your first day there. Many young people who travel to Morocco consider the easy availability of hashish (or "Kif" as the locals call it) as a major reason to visit. While hash (kif) is smoked by a large percentage of the male population in Morocco, it is illegal. While this article does not wish to encourage any illegal activity it is a fact that many people do use hash when they are in Morocco and they should be informed of some issues surrounding the smoking of "kif".
Don't be afraid to say no to persistent young men offering "kif" if you are not interested. It is likely that you will be offered a carpet or a tour in the same breath, so be polite but firm and move on.

Buying Hashish (Kif) in Morocco

You won't have to look for a dealer in Morocco -- there will be plenty of young men offering hashish to you on the streets. If you are looking for quality, then buying off a stranger in the street is not the way to go. Although smoking hashish is illegal in Morocco, plenty of men do it and if you can find some locals to smoke with, that's probably the best way to try. Smoking with local men will also mean the "kif" is of decent quality. If you have smoked hashish before, then beware that the homegrown variety is reportedly more potent than what you are used to at home.

Smoking Hashish or Kif

Hashish (Kif) is basically processed cannabis (marijuana). It looks like a piece of sticky brown clay. The colors will vary depending on the type and quality of the hashish. Hashish is usually crumbled, mixed with tobacco and then rolled into a joint (cigarette) or smoked in a pipe. You can buy small pipes (sebsis) or water pipes (hookahs) in most markets around Morocco. The pipes will not be displayed openly but venture inside some of the small bazaars and you'll find them.

In every Moroccan city you will find small cafes where local men smoke their water pipes while playing cards and drinking mint tea. These places are probably the best places to smoke for men, if accompanied by locals. Women tourists look very awkward in these cafes. There are also plenty of backpacker hostels and guesthouses where people feel safe enough to smoke, especially in towns like Chefchaouen, but always be careful since it is illegal. Tourists will also often smoke hash on a beach or other nature spots away from the general public.

Make sure you never smoke walking around town or in a public place, especially near mosques. The Lonley Planet Guide also suggests that you never travel with any hashish in your posession and that you should mistrust all dealers since many are infact police informers.

The Kif of the Rif

The Rif mountains (Northeast of Morocco) is where most of the cannabis (marijuana) is grown and processed into Hashish. people have been enjoying kif in the Rif mountains for centuries. According to the Lonely Planet Guide the word "kif" stems from the arabic word for 'pleasure'. But the casual use by a goatherder has been overtaken by a multi-million dollar industry. Nowadays, if you are traveling in this area you are assumed to be interested in buying drugs. Towns like Chefchaouen are a haven for stoned backpackers. Needless to say it's a mellow town with a good atmosphere and one of the safest places in Morocco for visitors. But there are plenty of towns where the drug business is all business and the scene is far from friendly. Ketama in particular is by all accounts a rough and dangerous place with plenty of scams involving drug dealers and police, so be careful if you decide to travel here. For an inside guide to this region in search of the best "kif", see the Hip Guide's article on the Kif in the Rif

Penalties for Smoking and Buying Hashish

The usual penalty for smoking or buying Hashish is ten years imprisonment. Since cannabis is unofficially Morocco's biggest foreign currency earner it is obvious that the government can hardly afford to make a serious crackdown on the business. Those who are most often fined or penalized are therefore the traveler smoking on a street or being careless when buying off an undercover policeman in a marketplace. If you ever find yourself in this situation, see if you can pay a fine on the spot rather than agreeing to go to prison; Moroccan jails are not pleasant places. The US State Department has some information about US citizens and their rights if they are caught with drugs abroad.

Smoke Weed

Smoke Weed

Who Doesn't Smoke Weed?