Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has granted pardons to nearly 5,000 individuals convicted or wanted for offenses related to illegal cannabis cultivation, according to a statement by the justice ministry on Monday.
As a significant producer of cannabis, Morocco has permitted the cultivation, export, and medicinal or industrial use of the drug since 2021, although recreational use remains prohibited.
The royal pardon aims to incentivize farmers to participate in the legal cannabis cultivation system, offering them an opportunity to improve their income and living conditions, said Mohammed El Guerrouj, head of Morocco’s cannabis regulatory agency, ANRAC, in an interview with Reuters.
Morocco’s first legal cannabis harvest, completed in 2023, yielded 294 metric tons. Official figures show that 225 kilograms have been exported legally since the beginning of the legalization process. This year’s yield is expected to surpass that as more cultivation permits are granted, including for the cultivation of Morocco’s indigenous cannabis strain, Beldia.
Cannabis cultivation is the primary economic activity for nearly a million people in northern Morocco, where it has been traditionally grown and consumed for generations. Farmers in the region typically mix cannabis with tobacco and smoke it in traditional long-stemmed pipes.
The 2021 legalization was intended to boost farmers’ incomes while protecting them from the criminal networks that have historically controlled the illegal cannabis trade.
Morocco is also positioning itself to take advantage of the expanding global market for legal cannabis. In 2023, the country issued 54 export permits.
