Morocco Boost Legal Cannabis Farming What Causes And Consequences

Morocco is the world’s largest producer of cannabis and a major supplier of cannabis resin materials

For many years. The authorities wavered between turning a blind eye and cracking down harshly. Despite the fact that according to United Nations reports and government data. The economy directly or indirectly supports hundreds of thousands of people in the Rif Mountains.
The region is known as the center of anti-government sentiment, and growers have been living under arrest warrants for many years. They avoid cities and towns. Many people have seen their fields burned down during the government’s planting campaign.

Abdulsalam Amraj, a marijuana farmer who has entered the legal industry, said that this crop is crucial for maintaining community survival.
He said, “Local farmers have tried planting wheat, nuts, apples, and other crops, but have not achieved feasible results
Making money in the illegal field brings fear and problems, “he said. When everything is legal, none of this will happen
On farmland located deep in the Rif Mountains, the stems of government approved cannabis varieties grow densely underground. He noticed that the police were passing by the nearby road. But once the fragrance of crops meant danger, now there is no need to worry. They know he sold it to the local cooperative.

The purpose and achievements of legalizing cannabis in Morocco

This change began in 2021, when Morocco became the first major producer of illegal cannabis and the first Muslim majority country to pass laws legalizing certain cultivation methods.
Officials say this move is aimed at helping small farmers who grow marijuana escape poverty and integrating marijuana growing areas into the economy, ending decades of marginalization.
The Ministry of Justice stated at the time that in 2024, King Mohammed VI pardoned over 4800 farmers who were serving sentences in order to allow long-term growers to “integrate into the new strategy”.

Since legalization in 2022, Morocco has strictly regulated every production and sales process, from seeds and pesticides to agricultural licenses and distribution. Although certain crops have been authorized, officials have not shown any intention of promoting legalization or reforms targeting recreational consumers.
Mohammed El Gruggi, Director General of the Moroccan Cannabis Regulatory Authority, said, “We have two conflicting missions, which are actually to make the same project successful in the same environment.” “Our mission as police is to enforce regulations. But our mission is also to support farmers and operators to succeed in projects

Moroccan cannabis licensing and cooperatives are part of a new ecosystem

The agency issued licenses to over 3371 growers in the Rif River basin last year and recorded the production of nearly 4200 tons of legal marijuana.
Near Babberide town, the bio cannabis cooperative purchases cannabis from approximately 200 small farmers during the harvest season. Plants are transformed into neat small bottles of CBD oil, bottles filled with toner and chocolate, and these products have been widely sold on pharmacy shelves in Morocco.
Some batches are processed into industrial hemp for textile use. For medical use and export, some products are refined into products with THC content below 1%. THC is a psychoactive compound that brings excitement to cannabis.

The head of the cooperative, Aziz Mahluf, stated that legalization has created an ecosystem that does not only employ farmers.
Someone is responsible for packaging, someone is responsible for transportation, and someone is responsible for irrigation – all of this is achieved through legalization, “said Markluf, a local of Bab Bered whose family has long been engaged in cannabis cultivation.
Legalization brings hope for licenses, formal cooperatives, and stable income without fear of arrest. But this transformation also exposed the limitations of the reform. The legal market is still too small to absorb the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on illegal trade, and farmers and experts say that the new rules have brought more pressure.
In August people got really upset in some areas near Taonat. This happened because the cooperative did not pay the growers for their crops. The local news said that the farmers held up signs that said things like “No rights, no legalization” and “Enough procrastination”. The farmers were very angry. Said they never got any money from the government for the work they did on their farms. They still did not get paid by the government for their work, on the farms.

The transition to legalizing cannabis cultivation in Morocco has just begun, and the challenges can be overcome

The demand for marijuana on the black market remains high. Currently, there are 14300 acres (5800 hectares) of legal cannabis cultivation in the Rif region, while over 67000 acres (27100 hectares) are used for illegal cultivation, according to government data. The number of farmers entering the legal system is still very small, and the number of people considered to be related to the illegal market is also very small.

A report from the Global Institute Against Transnational Organized Crime in April described the industry as “more of a coexistence of two markets than a decisive shift from one direction to the other
The report states, “A significant portion of the population still relies on illegal marijuana networks for income, continuing the state government’s attempts to reform the situation
Currently, Morocco has two cannabis economies coexisting – one regulated and one banned – attempting to pull this centuries old trade out of the shadows without abandoning its farmers.
Marijuana is now legal, just like mint, “said Amraj. “I never thought that one day I would be authorized to plant it. I was shocked.”

Referance: Morocco hopes to boost legal cannabis farming | AP News

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