Europe's outdoor cannabis capital
Sources within Albania suggest many communities have turned to cannabis for the first time this year
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Albania has become the largest producer of outdoor-grown cannabis in Europe. The potent plant has been described as "green gold" for struggling farmers. In a poor nation, it's a billion-euro industry. In Albania, a kilo of this illegal drug sells for between 100 and 200 euros. In Italy it will fetch about 1,500 euros. And most of the country's cannabis crop is trafficked out - north through Montenegro, south to Greece, or west across the Adriatic to Italy. There is no significant home market. One source estimates the illicit industry may be worth five billion euros per year - about half of Albania's GDP. (See also: An Albanian war on drugs)