Morocco · Rif Mountains, Ketama
Moroccan Beldia
also known as Kif, Ketama
History & origin
The traditional kif plant of Morocco's Rif mountains. Small, fast-flowering and the source of most European hashish for decades before modern hybrids displaced it.
Traditional use
Sieved into kif and traditional Moroccan hashish.
Place in modern medical practice
Traditional folk use for sleep, anxiety and digestive complaints.
Evidence note
Each claim below is tagged with the strongest available evidence type. Much of the historical and traditional record is ethnobotanical rather than clinical-trial grade. Modern UK prescribing of cannabis-based medicinal products is governed by the MHRA and guided by NICE NG144; individual suitability is decided by a specialist clinician. Nothing here constitutes medical advice.
Primary sources · 2
[1]Ethnographic study of kif cultivation and traditional use in the Rif.
Afsahi K, Mouna K. Cannabis in Morocco: Ethnobotany of an illicit cash crop. In The Routledge Handbook of Drugs and the Mediterranean, 2014.
Ethnobotanical[2]History of Moroccan hashish production and the Beldia cultivar.
Clarke RC. Hashish!. Red Eye Press, 1998.
Historical
Influence on modern strains
Genetic source for many European Mediterranean hybrids; currently being preserved by seed conservancy projects.
Direct descendants
Sensory profile
Aroma
Sweet hay, mint, earth
Flavour
Herbal, hashish, light spice
Effects
Light, social, gently relaxing