For comparison, that is six times the number of last-year users of Europe’s second-most consumed drug, cocaine, estimated at some 3.5 million people in 2021 (EMCDDA and Europol, 2022). Young adults (15-34) make up the majority of last-year cannabis users in Europe, representing an estimated 15.8 million people in 2021. Activities on dark-web marketplaces are closely monitored by international law enforcement agencies. Purchasing or selling illegal goods—such as controlled substances, counterfeit documents, or stolen data—can result in significant legal penalties, including fines, criminal charges, and imprisonment. Even users who access these platforms without intent to buy illegal items risk suspicion or investigation. ‘The cannabis market is a large one and many regular cannabis users may have decided to stock up, anticipating market disruption during the lockdown period’, states the report.
Malware Sales
TRM Labs assesses the event was likely an exit scam, though a covert law enforcement seizure cannot be ruled out. Cases like Nemesis Market and Monopoly Market indicate that law enforcement agencies now prefer to take down DNMs without announcing it publicly — and potentially alerting vendors under investigation. In the interim, many in the DNM community will assume the marketplace performed an exit scam and continue their activity on other platforms. Bayonet/GraveSac, and has become the preferred method for disrupting the ecosystem. Yes, We The North is a darknet market based in Canada that connects verified sellers with buyers seeking premium cannabis products. The dealer trend is helped by the fact that drugs on the darknet are both cheaper and more potent than what is available on the street.
Based on the literature review, supply-side approaches were assessed as being too simplistic (Udrisard et al., 2022). In a literature review conducted for this analysis (Udrisard et al., 2022), only 21 studies were identified that attempted to formulate market size estimates for illicit drugs. Europe featured as a region of focus in two of the studies and nine of the studies looked at cannabis alone.
Is There A Future For Dark Web Marketplaces?
These initiatives may also be related to recent changes in cannabis legislation alongside the increase in ‘CBD shops’ and low-THC products in Europe, with illicit cannabis suppliers copying legal retailers’ marketing methods and strategies. A small proportion of the listings on darknet markets in 2021 included cannabis concentrates and edibles. Germany (32 %) and Spain (27 %) dominated as the shipping origins for concentrates. Edible products appeared to be generally imported from North America for further redistribution within the EU, and were then typically shipped from Spain (31 %), France (22 %) and Germany (16 %). Several developments already raised in this report have likely contributed to the increase in resin potency. These include the introduction of new cannabis strains and new cultivation and resin extraction techniques in Morocco (see Section Cannabis resin production outside the EU).
Trends In The Number Of Seizures Of Cannabis Products: COVID-19 Strongly Impacts Seizures Of Cannabis Resin
Launched in 2021, Bohemia/Cannabia quickly became a prominent platform on the dark web, primarily offering drugs with a focus on cannabis products. This operation marks a critical milestone in the fight against illegal online activities, particularly those involving drugs and cybercrime services. Yes, the official WeTheNorth site is verified and frequently updated to provide users with secure and accurate access to the platform. The market’s sudden downfall, exacerbated by internal corruption and rogue developers, sent shockwaves through the dark web community. Many vendors, frustrated by the site’s instability, began to move their operations to other markets, while users struggled to recover their lost funds. For law enforcement, this period of instability provided the perfect opportunity to strike.
Despite minor accessibility inconveniences, these strengths have solidified its position among the top dark-web marketplaces in 2025. Established in 2022, Torzon market is one of the biggest and most diverse marketplaces on the dark web. It is considered very secure thanks to strict user validations and transparent payment and vendor review procedures. Russian Market has consistently remained one of the most popular and valuable data stores on the dark web. The platform’s activity has increased significantly over the past year, indicating its growing influence and market share in the underground economy.
VPN Alternatives For Securing Remote Network Access
Many people go to the dark web to buy things they can’t find elsewhere, but what if what you’re buying is also trying to harm you? Scammers on darknet markets claim to offer legit tools or services, but instead provide you with malicious software that can infect your device. If you take a quick look through darknet marketplaces, you’ll instantly notice an overwhelming supply of pirated content.
Telegram analysis shows that in the Netherlands, online psychoactive substance trade may have been affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The direction of this effect was different for different classes of substances. Between December 2, 2019, and June 29, 2020, a total of 70,226 posts appeared in two analyzed Telegram groups. Based on the analyzed posts, Telegram is mostly a ‘“sellers” market as only a minority of the posts (6.3%) could be identified as a request for a substance.
Global Dark Web Markets Bohemia And Cannabia Shut Down After Major International Police Operation
At We The North Market, we understand that you may have questions about using our platform. Our FAQ section provides concise answers to common inquiries about our services, eligibility requirements, and security measures. It is notable that while some studies considered the issue of cannabis sharing and how this impacted on their market size estimates, it was concluded that there was no real evidence of a global overestimation. While estimates were not revised to account for this potential issue, researchers have strongly recommended further research in this area (Udrisard et al., 2022).
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Wastewater analysis can also detect fluctuations in patterns of illicit drug use across the week. Overall, cannabis (THC-COOH) was found to be distributed evenly over the whole week. In wastewater analysis, cannabis use is estimated by measuring its main metabolite, THC-COOH, which is the only suitable biomarker found so far, although it is excreted in low percentages (Causanilles et al., 2017). There are several challenges and uncertainties in the wastewater analysis of THC-COOH, related to factors such as the analytical measurements and poorly understood excretion rates (Bijlsma et al., 2020). In addition, this type of analysis is not able to discriminate between the different cannabis products consumed. Overall, research to develop alternative biomarkers is needed and caution is required when interpreting trends based on THC-COOH loads in wastewater.
While accessing Darknet Markets themselves is typically not against the law in most places, engaging with illicit goods within them is generally considered a crime. On the other hand, some people might visit Darknet Markets for lawful purposes such as research, journalistic work, or simply to explore online communities. It’s essential to know the local laws regarding online activities, and be cautious when using these platforms to avoid any potential issues. The darknet, also known as the dark web, is a concealed section of the internet that’s inaccessible via standard search engines.
What Is The Darknet Market?
Market places on the dark web offer a wide range of activities, spanning from fraud and scam websites to black-market activities such as illegal drug sales. Perhaps one of the most famous hidden services operating on the dark web was a site called Silk Road. Since its inception, the site became famous for selling, among other things, illicit drugs, weapons, and credit-card numbers. Caulkins and Pacula (2006) use data from a US household survey to investigate the variation in cannabis prices and find a quantity discount elasticity.
- In fact, it is routine for individual’s participating in these dark web communities, par for the course of engaging in the markets.
- According to a report by EMCDDA 6, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply side of drug trading has been limited.
- The marketplace is well-known for its bug bounty programs and robust security mechanisms, including mandatory 2FA.
- Chainalysis data shows darknet marketplace revenue dropped post-Hydra seizure in 2022 but recovered to $2 billion in Bitcoin inflows during 2024 Darknet market BTC inflow drop and shift to Monero.
- Its blend of simplicity, speed, and secure transactions makes it a reliable choice in the evolving darknet space.
This will help us better understand and predict the impact of hidden drug sales on public health. Our analysis links darknet drug data with published health indicators, such as overdose deaths, HIV cases related to drug use, and drug-related convictions, filling a gap in existing research. True Void is an expert on darknet markets known for his desire to stay anonymous. His writings provide deep insights into the secretive world of online black markets. Apart from his interest in the darknet, he is also passionate about chess, enjoying the strategic depth it offers. Based on the amounts that are being offered, varying from single tablets or grams of powder to tens of tablets or grams of powder, social media such as Telegram are most likely used for the purchase of smaller amounts of drugs.
