European Black Market for Marijuana Reaches €11.6 Billion
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has published a report on the drug market. According to the document, EU residents spend €11.6 billion annually on illegal marijuana.
Marijuana Remains the Most Popular Drug
The annual income of drug traffickers in Europe is at least €30 billion. Of this, 39% comes from marijuana. Cocaine ranks second (31%, €9.1 billion), followed by heroin (25%, €7.4 billion). Revenue from amphetamine sales reaches €1 billion (3%), while MDMA trade brings in €500 million per year (2%).
The price of 1 gram of marijuana ranges from €7 to €13, with THC concentrations between 9% and 12%. The price of hashish varies from €9 to €13, and its THC content ranges from 15% to 22%.
Experts estimate that 91.2 million Europeans aged 15 to 64 have tried cannabis at least once in their lives. From 2007 to 2017, the number of arrests for marijuana-related offenses increased from 532,000 to 765,743. Of those arrested, 83% were detained for possession or use of cannabinoids, 15% for distribution, and the remaining 2% for other offenses. During the same period, the number of people seeking help for cannabis-related issues rose from 40,000 to 70,000.
Marijuana Production
Albania is the main supplier of marijuana to the European market. In 2016, Albanian police destroyed 5,205 marijuana plantations; in 2017, 500; and in 2018, 379. Law enforcement confiscated 30 tons of marijuana in 2016 and 78 tons in 2017. However, the volume of cannabis exports from Albania did not decrease, leading experts to believe that growers have started cultivating the plant indoors to avoid detection from the air.
Turkey (92 tons) and Italy (90 tons) ranked first and second in terms of marijuana seizures. Europol reports an increase in marijuana cultivation in countries on the Balkan Peninsula. Cannabis is transported by boat to Italy and then distributed throughout the EU. Belgium, Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, and Norway are leading in domestic cultivation. Police in these countries seized 50 kilograms of marijuana and 18,000 packages of marijuana seeds in one year. However, the Netherlands is the undisputed leader: in 2017, authorities confiscated 722,618 cannabis plants. Dutch electricians estimated that in 2018, marijuana growers stole 95 million kWh of electricity worth €195 million. Police data suggests there are about 30,000 illegal cannabis farms in the Netherlands, stealing around 1 billion kWh of electricity annually.
Hashish Trade
The main suppliers of hashish to the European market are Morocco, Afghanistan, Albania, and Lebanon. In Morocco, marijuana plantations cover 47,000 hectares, producing between 700 and 760 tons of hashish annually. Europe produces a small amount of hashish, mainly in Dutch coffee shops. The average THC concentration in imported hashish is 21%, while Dutch hashish averages 35%. Dutch law enforcement has shut down several processing plants producing potent marijuana extracts (up to 60% THC).
In 2017, EU police seized 209 tons of hashish. The largest drug shipments were found in Italy, Spain, Greece, the UK, and France. Of the confiscated hashish, 72% was produced in Morocco. Smugglers transport illegal products using motorboats and private planes.