Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has issued pardons for nearly 5,000 individuals convicted or wanted on charges related to illegal cannabis cultivation, the justice ministry announced Monday.
The North African nation, a major cannabis producer, legalized the cultivation, export, and use of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes in 2021. However, recreational use remains prohibited.
Mohammed El Guerrouj, head of Morocco’s cannabis regulatory agency ANRAC, told Reuters that the royal pardon aims to encourage farmers “to engage in the legal process of cannabis cultivation to improve their revenue and living conditions.”
Morocco’s inaugural legal cannabis harvest in 2023 yielded 294 metric tons, according to official figures. Guerrouj reported that legal exports since 2023 have reached 225 kilograms.
The country anticipates higher production in the coming year as the number of farming permits increases. ANRAC has also authorized the cultivation of Beldia, a local cannabis strain.
Cannabis cultivation has long been a primary economic activity in parts of northern Morocco, where nearly a million people reside. The plant has been openly grown and consumed in these regions for generations, traditionally mixed with tobacco and smoked in long-stemmed pipes with clay bowls.
The 2021 legalization aimed to improve farmers’ incomes and protect them from drug traffickers who have historically dominated the illegal cannabis trade. Additionally, Morocco seeks to capitalize on the growing global market for legal cannabis. In 2023, the country awarded 54 export permits.
This move towards legalization and regulation represents a significant shift in Morocco’s drug policy. The pardons are seen as a step towards integrating longtime cannabis farmers into the new legal framework, potentially reducing the illegal drug trade while boosting the legitimate cannabis industry.
Reuters
