World Facts

Countries Producing The Most Marijuana Resin

A band of countries from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Subcontinent dominates the industry making this potent, sticky cannabinoid substance.

Many countries consider marijuana resin (hashish) as an illegal substance. It is produced from the flower of the female Cannabis sativa plant. This dark sticky resin is a byproduct of the cannabis plant, along with marijuana. The United States and Canada has marijuana resin on their list of illegal drugs. However, some US states allow their use for medicinal purposes. Recently, in other countries, possession and use of a small quantity of either marijuana or hashish has been decriminalized. Medical use of either substance for seriously ill people can alleviate physical pain and improve their appetite. However, health concerns over long periods of use may lead to cancer, lung damage, infertility, and lowered hormone levels.

10. Jamaica (3% of global total)

Jamaica is at the tenth spot, with a marijuana resin (hashish) production equal to 3% the global total. Although marijuana and hashish are both illegal in Jamaica, police corruption and gang activities allow the trade to thrive on the island nation. The substance, which originally came from India, flourished in Jamaica, and is used by native Jamaicans as a common medicine for minor aches and pains. Even babies' ills are sometimes treated with the substance. Hashish oil is produced in large quantities in Jamaica, rather than focusing on producing hashish itself. The government of Jamaica recently has passed a law giving partial legalization to cannabis and hash used for medicinal purposes.

9. Turkey (4% of global total)

Turkey is at the ninth spot on the list, with a marijuana resin production of 4% of the global total. Turkish hash is extremely brittle, but of a good quality, with centuries-old growing manufacturing traditions. Most Turkish hashish is made form cannabis cultivated in the Anatolia region of Turkey. It is a highly illegal substance in the country, and domestic hash use is also rare due to the punishments associated with it. Most of the confiscated cannabis and hash in Turkey are destroyed to prevent misuse.

8. Nepal (4% of global total)

Nepal stands at the eighth spot, with a marijuana resin production standing at 4% of the global total. It is considered a criminal offense to grow, use, and sell cannabis in Nepal, and would result in imprisonment and legal action for the offenders caught there. Nepalese people use hash themselves to some extent domestically, but the substance is primarily used as a medicinal herb for cattle there. It is also smoked during the Hindu festival of Shivarattri among followers in Nepal. In 1973, a crackdown on cannabis was carried out, and all hash dealers' licenses were revoked as part of a UN directive against drugs.

7. Netherlands (4% of global total)

The Netherlands is at the seventh spot on the list, with marijuana resin production of around 4% of the global total. Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is well-known around the world for its lax laws regarding recreational drug use. "Hippies" and other users from all over the world still visit the city with one thing in mind: a drug-laden holiday. Marijuana and hashish are tolerated in small quantities there, whether for production or consumption. There are also unique "pot deliveries" available in the city, much like pizza delivery elsewhere.

6. Pakistan (5.1% of global total)

Pakistan stands at the sixth spot, with marijuana resin production equating to 5.1% of the global total. In Pakistan, the production and selling of hashish, or Charas, is treated as a family tradition that has to be maintained and cherished. Although hashish is considered an illegal substance in the country, its use is widely tolerated, especially in the northern, lawless, tribal regions along the borders between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hashish that is preserved in goat skin is touted by these manufacturers as the being best hash in the world.

5. India (5.1% of global total)

India is at the fifth spot on the list, with a marijuana resin production amounting to 5.1% of the global total. Some Indians even enjoy their hashish in milkshakes! Cannabis cultivation in the country goes back to 2,000 BCE. It is used as a medicinal and ritualistic plant that cures many illnesses. "Charas" is the Indian term for hashish. The 1980s brought stringent prison terms to persons caught with the substance. However, today more lax laws have allowed the use of hashish among students and the Hindu sects. Cannabis grows wild in northern India and in the foothills of the Himalayas.

4. Spain (5.5% of global total)

Spain stands fourth in marijuana resin production, at 5.5% of the global total. Much of the cultivation and production comes from Murcia, Malaga, Alicante, Granada, and Valencia. In 2013 alone, a total of 105,000 plants had been confiscated from Spanish cannabis farmers. The confiscated lot by itself would have supplied about 60% of Spain's domestic cannabis demands. The recent cannabis production from Spain ranges from small home greenhouses to large industrial hydroponic installations which can export the drug in large quantities to other EU countries as well.

3. Lebanon (6% of global total)

Lebanon comes in third in marijuana resin production, making 6% of the global total. According to users, Lebanon produces and exports some of the highest quality of hashish in the world. Before 1991, the substance was widely tolerated in the country, but 1991 saw the strict enforcement of anti-hashish laws, and a crackdown on the cultivation and production of hashish in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Today, the war in Syria has interrupted the war against hashish in lieu of guarding the country's borders.

2. Afghanistan (10% 0f global total)

Afghanistan stands second in marijuana resin production, contributing 10% of the total global numbers. As in other Middle Eastern countries that produce hashish, Afghanistan has centuries of cannabis cultivation and production of its byproducts to its name. Before the King of Afghanistan outlawed cannabis in his country in 1973, many tourists and purchasers came to Afghanistan to enjoy cannabis. In the summer of 1973, government troops destroyed cannabis farms and killed many pf the farmers tending them.

1. Morocco (19% of global total)

Morocco is the number highest producer of marijuana resin (hashish) in the world, contributing 19% of the global total. Hashish production in the country started centuries ago, until it was banned after its independence in 1957. In 1974, a war on drugs ensued in Morocco that resulted in the total ban on all drugs in that country. However, today the production and sale of hashish and marijuana in Morocco is more tolerated as it contributes to its economy.

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