Morocco’s king has granted pardons to nearly 5,000 individuals who were either convicted or sought for illegal cannabis cultivation, as announced by the Ministry of Justice
Morocco, a leading producer of cannabis, legalized the cultivation, export, and use of the plant for medicinal and industrial purposes in 2021, while recreational use remains prohibited.
This royal pardon is intended to encourage farmers to participate in the legal cannabis industry, improving their earnings and living conditions, according to Mohammed El Guerrouj, the head of ANRAC, Morocco’s cannabis regulatory body.
In 2023, Morocco’s first legal cannabis harvest produced 294 metric tonnes, with 225 kilograms already exported, based on official data. The harvest is expected to increase this year as more permits are issued, and ANRAC supports the cultivation of the native Beldia strain.
Cannabis cultivation is the primary economic activity for nearly a million people in northern Morocco, where the plant has been grown and used openly for generations, often mixed with tobacco in traditional pipes.
The legalization in 2021 was intended to improve farmers’ incomes and protect them from drug traffickers who dominate the illegal cannabis trade.
Morocco is also seeking to tap into the growing global market for legal cannabis, having issued 54 export permits last year.
