VZCZCXYZ0034
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0132/01 0411750
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101750Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9669
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS RABAT 000132 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCOR KCRM SP MO
SUBJECT: TAOUNATE TOUGH ON CANNABIS 
 
REF: A. 08 RABAT 01049 
     ¶B. RABAT 00090 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Following success in western Morocco, 
Morocco's anti-cannabis efforts now focus on Taounate, a 
province in the Rif mountains on the eastern side of the 
major growing areas.  Provincial authorities are making 
strong efforts to educate local residents about the negative 
aspects associated with cannabis cultivation and to keep it 
contained to areas outside of Taounate.  GOM officials 
significantly increased their cannabis related arrests in 
2008 and plan to continue their aggressive eradication and 
crop substitution programs which include saffron and roses to 
replace cannabis.  Taounate accounted for 22 percent of all 
the cannabis fields eradicated in Morocco in 2008.  Ministry 
of Interior Officials want to change Morocco's negative image 
as the world's largest producer of hashish but cannabis 
cultivation continues in the heart of Morocco's growing zone. 
 End Summary. 
 
---------------------------- 
Cannabis History in Taounate 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Poloff recently traveled to the province of 
Taounate to witness first hand the region's efforts to 
eliminate cannabis trade.  The province is situated near the 
borders of the Al Hoceima and Chefchaouen provinces in the 
Rif mountain region of northern Morocco.  Large cannabis 
farms first appeared in the 1990s in the northern portion of 
Taounate.  This drug became a preferred cash crop for many of 
the local subsistence farmers because the climate was 
suitable for cultivation, the plant flourished with little 
effort on the part of the farmers, and it generated a steady 
income for those living in a greatly impoverished area. 
Although popular among the local population, cannabis 
cultivation had a negative impact on health and regional 
development.  Government officials began a serious cannabis 
eradication program in 2004 focused on 1) a strong awareness 
campaign, 2) eradicating drug fields and prosecuting guilty 
cannabis farmers, and 3) reconverting drug fields and finding 
economic substitutions for the illegal crop (Ref A). 
 
-------------------------- 
Public Awareness Campaign 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Taounate Governor Mohammed Fettal relayed to Poloff 
that he has mobilized gendarme, forestry and auxiliary forces 
to show local residents that there are better alternatives to 
earn a living than by growing cannabis.  Authorities instruct 
citizens of the health dangers related to drug usage as well 
as the economic consequences one faces if they are arrested 
for cultivating the illegal crop.  The Forest Administration 
educates the local population on the environmental dangers of 
deforestation and soil erosion resulting from cannabis 
farmers burning large swaths of land during cannabis 
cultivation land preparations. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Officials took Poloff to a mountain viewpoint where 
we could see billowing black smoke rising from a forest 
located in the neighboring province of Al Hoceima.  "You see 
that smoke?", asked the Forestry officer.  "They are burning 
the land in preparation to plant cannabis in a few months. 
You no longer see that happen here in Taounate.  If it does, 
we will immediately arrest those involved.  We now focus our 
efforts to contain the cannabis cultivation.  We want to keep 
it out of our province and in Al Hoceima and Chefchaouen." 
 
------------------------------------- 
Eradication and Prosecution Efforts 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) From January to October 31, 2008, Taounate 
authorities seized 20,000 kg of cannabis, 857 kg of hashish, 
and eradicated twenty-two percent (2,795 hectare acres) of 
the combined total 12,500 hectare acres of cannabis crops 
eradicated throughout all of Morocco.  During the same time 
period, 159 individuals were arrested for the role they 
played in cannabis cultivation in the province, a significant 
increase over previous years.  Authorities arrested only 13 
individuals in both 2006 and 2007 respectively.  Convicted 
offenders face prison sentences ranging from one month to 
seven years and fines between 1000 dirham (117 USD) and 8,000 
dirham (941 USD), depending upon the seriousness of the 
offense. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Governor Fettal informed Poloff that he wants to 
make all of Taounate's 49 communes "cannabis-free" zones in 
the near future.  Since 2004, authorities in Taounate reduced 
the number of communes known to grow cannabis from 21 to 16. 
They plan to reduce that number down to 10 in 2009. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Authorities escorted Poloff to a remote field along 
a riverbed that once flourished with cannabis.  Barley now 
grows in its place and community leaders work in close 
cooperation with provincial authorities to keep cannabis 
producers out of town.  There is beginning to be a negative 
stigma attached to cannabis cultivation.  Although no 
cannabis fields were currently growing in Taounate during the 
time of the visit, authorities invited Poloff to return in 
the summer to witness organized eradication efforts. 
 
------------------------------- 
Finding Economic Substitutions 
------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Authorities in Taounate are leading a massive 
campaign to reclaim lands once used to cultivate cannabis and 
introduce local farmers to legitimate sources of income such 
as animal husbandry and planting orchards of various types. 
Between 2005-2007, authorities distributed 1,340,968 plants 
of different varieties (olives, prunes, figs, pomegranates, 
etc.) to farmers throughout the region.  In 2008, authorities 
assisted area orchards in Taounate by providing 183,000 olive 
trees, 57,000 prune trees, and 250,000 carob trees. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) National Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 
(NIMAP) Director Hmamouchi Mohamed escorted Poloff on a tour 
of the impressive 4,500 square meter facility located on 29 
hectares of land that the GOM commissioned in Taounate in 
2002 to study the viability of substitute crops in the 
region.  Sadly, the modern institute full of state of the art 
equipment appeared to be largely empty and underutilized due 
to lack of funds for continued support. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) In spite of their limited resources, the Institute 
continues to conduct research with current emphasis on 
testing the viability of saffron and roses as crop 
substitutes.  According to NIMAP officials, saffron has the 
potential to yield annually up to 800,000 dirham ($94,117 
USD) and roses up to 625,000 dirham ($73,529 USD) per hectare 
acre in the international market.  Such high value crops 
could be lucrative sources of income for local cannabis 
farmers who currently earn roughly 46,000 dirham ($5,411 USD) 
annually per person. 
 
------------ 
Bottom Line 
------------ 
 
¶11.  (SBU) MOI officials told Poloff that Morocco is tired of 
being labeled as the "world's largest producer of hashish" 
and it is working hard to change that image.  Officials in 
Taounate admit that much work is required before their 
Province can be declared "cannabis free". 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Comment:  We believe MOI and provincial 
authorities are serious in their efforts to combat drugs as 
evidenced by the actions in Taounate and the January arrest 
of a major international drug trafficking ring involving 
numerous members of the Moroccan armed forces (Ref B). 
Nonetheless, despite successes in Taounate and Larache 
provinces, cultivation appears to be continuing in the heart 
of Morocco's growing zone.  End Comment. 
 
 
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Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
***************************************** 
 
Jackson