Morocco: First Legal Cannabis Crop Yields 294 Tons for “Medical and Industrial Purposes”
BY: Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS- The National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities in Morocco has reported that the country’s first legal cannabis crop amounted to 294 tons in 2023, following approval from the Moroccan government to cultivate and export it for “medical and industrial purposes.”
The agency stated in an email to Reuters that the crop was cultivated by 32 cooperative associations, involving 430 farmers, covering an area of 277 hectares in the Rif Mountains regions of Al Hoceima, Tetouan, and Chefchaouen.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has indicated that approximately 47,000 hectares of the Rif Mountains are dedicated to cannabis cultivation, accounting for nearly one-third of the area in 2003 after government campaigns.
The agency further disclosed that it is currently reviewing requests from 1,500 farmers organized into 130 cooperatives.
It noted that the cultivation of the local strain known as “Beldia,” which is drought-resistant, began this month.
Although Morocco is a major producer of cannabis, its use for recreational purposes remains officially illegal but is practically tolerated.
Approximately one million people in northern Morocco rely on cannabis cultivation and consumption as their main economic activity, a tradition that has been passed down for generations.
Proponents of the legislation claim it aims to “improve farmers’ income and protect them from drug traffickers who dominate the cannabis trade and export it illegally.” Several sources assert that figures from the royal palace and the Makhzen system are involved in the drug trade, as revealed by the recent “Sahara Escobar” scandal, which exposed the involvement of high-profile individuals in drug smuggling operations.
The agency indicated that two legal conversion units are operational, while two others are awaiting equipment, and 15 cannabis products are in the licensing process for medical use.
The Moroccan government also alleges that “Morocco seeks to capitalize on the growing global market for legal cannabis,” having granted 54 export permits last year.
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