France’s Drug War: A Deceptive Facade Shielding Morocco’s Narcotic Empire

BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Algiers, Algeria | January 05th, 2024 — The current anti-drug operation led by the Macron government is nothing more than an elaborate ruse, a political theater designed to mask the reality of a deeply entrenched, global narcotics network that thrives under the protection of powerful state actors. French ministers, claiming to wage a “war on drugs,” are not only failing to address the core issues of narcotrafficking, but are also complicit in perpetuating it. Their so-called “battle against drugs” mirrors the farce of the “war on terror”—both are manufactured distractions from the broader, systemic issues that drive the economic and political power structures benefiting from illicit activities.

As historian Howard Zinn astutely noted, “how can there be a war on terror when this war is itself terrorism?” Similarly, under the capitalist system that governs France, how can a war on drugs be taken seriously when the very capitalist system that sustains this war is more toxic and deadly than the drugs themselves? The wealthy elite and those in power are more dangerous and genocidal to humanity than any narcotic, for they profit not only from drug trade but from the very structural inequalities that foster it.

In capitalist nations like France, the drug trade is not the work of petty street dealers; it is the result of a massive global production and trade network, with Morocco at its epicenter. The global capitalist system, particularly in times of economic crisis, relies on the drug industry as an indispensable pillar for its survival. This is why the ruling class and their states have no interest in truly dismantling drug trafficking; they are, in fact, the primary beneficiaries of the narcotics trade.

Moreover, the wealthy elite are often the most prolific consumers of drugs, particularly luxury narcotics like cocaine. While it is well-documented that business moguls, politicians, and corporate leaders are often addicted to corruption and exploitative practices, fewer know that these same powerful figures indulge in drug consumption on a scale that dwarfs that of poorer populations. In fact, privileged individuals consume more drugs than working-class youth, fueling the demand for illicit substances in the very nations that purport to fight the trade.

The reality is that the drug business is interwoven into the fabric of capitalist economies. In countries like Morocco, where absolute poverty has ravaged the population, the drug industry has become the only growing sector in an otherwise bleak economic landscape. This dependency on the narcotics trade for economic survival in Morocco has created a unique set of political interests at the highest levels of the state.

In France and other capitalist nations, the government gives the appearance of combating drug trafficking and money laundering—an inherently flawed endeavor given that money itself, a form of “dirty drug,” fuels the mercantile system. French authorities frequently target small-scale dealers and consumers, predominantly from immigrant backgrounds, while avoiding any serious confrontation with the global cartels or their wealthy patrons. The media obediently focuses its criticism on minor offenders, while conveniently overlooking the role of Morocco as the world’s leader in narcotics production and distribution.

Morocco, a key player in this international trafficking web, produces and exports staggering amounts of hashish, with the kingdom controlling a massive share of the global drug market. According to United Nations sources, 40% of the processed kif (cannabis resin) consumed worldwide and 80% of the kif consumed in Europe—especially in France—originates from Morocco. The Moroccan royal family, particularly King Mohammed VI, has ensured that the kingdom remains an unchallenged narcotic powerhouse, with the state directly involved in the cultivation and distribution of cannabis.

In 2023, Morocco produced 294 tons of “legal” cannabis through 32 cooperatives, and in 2024, nearly 3,000 licenses for cannabis cultivation were granted, a sharp increase from the previous year. This dramatic expansion in legal cannabis farming directly correlates with an exponential rise in illegal trafficking, flooding the French market and exacerbating the violence tied to the drug trade.

The violence seen in France, driven by the influx of Moroccan hashish, is a direct result of the state’s complicity in protecting Morocco’s narcotics empire. While French law enforcement occasionally parades its success in seizing small quantities of drugs or dismantling low-level networks, they consistently avoid addressing the core issue—the Moroccan narco-monarchy. The French government’s selective enforcement of drug laws is nothing more than a performance to appease the public, while the true power brokers in the narcotics trade, from Morocco’s royal palace to its police and military elite, remain shielded from scrutiny.

In a particularly hypocritical move, while French authorities crack down on minor drug offenders, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has pardoned thousands of cannabis producers, effectively endorsing the continuation of the drug trade that fuels violence and instability in Europe. In August 2024, the Moroccan monarch granted clemency to 4,831 cannabis farmers, releasing them from prison to resume their illicit activities with state backing.

It is worth noting that Morocco stands out as the only major drug-producing country that has avoided the brutal cartel violence seen in places like Mexico and Colombia. This is no accident. Morocco’s narcotics industry is tightly controlled by a single mafia—the Makhzen, the royal court and its cronies, who monopolize the drug trade with impunity.

The French government’s failure to address the roots of drug trafficking—economic inequality, unemployment, and social disintegration—is a glaring example of its dishonesty. It is equally dishonest and hypocritical for France to pretend to combat drug trafficking without addressing the central player in this global operation: Morocco. Until the political elite in both France and Morocco are held accountable for their roles in perpetuating this toxic trade, any so-called “war on drugs” will remain an exercise in deception and distraction.