Northern Morocco's Rif Mountains, home to the Berbers since the 11th century, are where much of the marijuana that supplies Europe is grown.

It's a six-hour drive north of Marrakech, past Casablanca and along the coast through Kenitra, the site of an ancient Phoenician trading post, to reach the city of Chefchaouen. Famous both for its blue-rinsed buildings and for its easy abundance of kif—the dried bud of the female marijuana plant—the city is a popular tourist destination. The view from Cherchaouen:

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Above: Morocco's climate—hot and dry for six months of the year, with cool nighttime temperatures at high elevation, creates ideal conditions for growing marijuana, which flourishes on open hillsides throughout the Rif Mountains. Image by Jessica, via Flickr.

N.B.: For more about Morocco, see "Miniature Moroccan Tabletop Garden."

Above: More than 70 percent of European countries say Morocco is where their marijuana originates; most of it is grown in fields, on hillsides, and even along the roadside near Chefchaouen. Growers use a sieve to extract resin from female plants, then rub it to create potent hashish. Image via Polo's.

Above: Chefchaouen is a little more than an hour's drive south from Tangiers. Image by Hardy, via Flickr. (N.B.: Looking for a hotel in Tangiers? See "Rock the Casbah.")

Above: Marijuana grows alongside the road near Chefchaouen. Image by Rafael Marchante, via MSNBC.

N.B.: For more, see "Design Sleuth: Marrakech Inspired Tiled Garden Path."

Above: Making hashish in the Rif Mountains. Image by Park Arts, via Flickr.

Above: Life on the farm. Image via Polo's.

Above: Beyond the marijuana fields, more mountains. Image by Alex MacDonald, via Flickr.