Marijuana is the most consumed illegal substance in the European Union, according to the 2025 Drug Report. This demand has turned Catalonia into the epicenter of its production and distribution, leading to the proliferation of plantations and the establishment of international organizations, especially those originating from Albania, Moldova, and other Eastern countries.
This phenomenon, observed throughout 2025 in the interior regions of the country, has resulted in a notable increase in violence between clans, including drug robberies, confrontations, and revenge attacks. This modus operandi is necessarily linked to the illegal possession of weapons, some classified as military-grade, according to sources from the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office.
“"The cultivation and trafficking of marijuana entail very serious criminal synergies, which affect public safety, which is severely disturbed. We import people dedicated to crime while exporting marijuana to other countries."
Legal experts believe that the settlement of criminal organizations in Central Catalonia is directly linked to the laxity of the penalties associated with illegal marijuana trade, ranging from drug trafficking to the squatting of homes and industrial warehouses, and electricity supply fraud. In 2024 alone, the Mossos d'Esquadra seized 542,000 marijuana plants.
The Spanish Penal Code considers marijuana a substance “that does not cause serious harm to health,” which is why the penalties associated with its sale are much lower than those for trafficking other drugs like cocaine or heroin.
“"The State, particularly Catalonia, has become an important center for cultivation and export of marijuana, a highly profitable business that requires laundering the profits. The gangs favor violence, extortion, and corruption."
