Rif

Law Enforcement

In the Rif, kif and hash were familiar enough that a discreet smoker often went unnoticed. A suspected smuggling case was another matter. The warning was a few miserable years in a local prison. Think Midnight Express.

Where to Buy Marijuana

Chefchaouen, also written Xaoen or Chaouen, sits on a spur beneath the peaks. People said the name meant “look at the peaks.” It was a picturesque stop with or without the hash. Visitors, especially new arrivals, often got offers. Some sellers were pushy or made women uncomfortable, and the first thing offered wasn’t always the better batch.

The growing area was described as north of Ouezzane, east of Chefchaouen, west of Ketama and inland from the coast. Amazigh villages grew crops for subsistence and farmed cannabis on a smaller scale. Drought, limited irrigation and heavy fertiliser were blamed for some early harvests. Better hash was said to come from higher, wetter villages without road access. The accounts also include allegations about organised trafficking and official involvement around Ketama. It had a visible police presence. El Jebha was quieter, and Oued Laou was a suggested coastal stop by taxi from Chefchaouen.

Marijuana Prices

• Ordinary hash: about 15 dirhams for 1 g, then a little over US$1 or just under £1.
• Kif: about 2 dirhams for 1 g.
• Better hash could cost visitors more, though a local price was put at around 6 dirhams per gram.

Types of Marijuana

Kif was ground flower mixed with tabac sauvage and smoked in a long thin pipe. The tobacco could overpower the weed. Ordinary hash was sandy-coloured, gritty and sold in big rough-pressed bricks. It edged out English soapbar by a little. “Zero-zero” and “sputnik” were loose labels. Better resin stuck together with gentle pressure and warmth and had a cleaner break. The small runs associated with Hashdoctor and Rifman were said to be made with local growers for Amsterdam. Those were hard to find and expensive, with Dutch Nederhasj and Isolator regarded as stronger.

More Information

Wrapped “caramelos,” usually 3–5 g, were sold with smuggling in mind. They had a reputation for poorer resin and for deals that could end at the border with the police. Herbalists also sold dried poppy heads known as rash-sha-sha. The old account describes a foul-tasting, potent opiate tea.