King Of Morocco Pardons Over 4,800 Cannabis Farmers
King Mohammed VI Pardons Over 4,800 Cannabis Farmers Amid Morocco's Evolving Cannabis Policy.
Morocco's progress in cannabis policy has led the King to pardon thousands of cannabis farmers in the North African country.
Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Monday pardoned over 4,800 people convicted, prosecuted, or wanted in cases related to cannabis cultivation.
This decision coincides with this year's anniversary of the King and People's Revolution.
King Mohammed VI has issued an order to pardon a group of individuals, including both detainees and those at large, who were sentenced by various courts across the Kingdom.
Among those pardoned are 4,831 people involved in cases related to cannabis cultivation who meet the necessary conditions for pardon.
In addition to its humanitarian aspects, this gesture also reflects Morocco's evolving cannabis policy in recent years, as it will allow those affected to integrate into the new strategy adopted by the involved regions, which is expected to have a significant economic and social impact and contribute to the development of alternative crops and non-agricultural activities, according to the justice ministry's statement.
Morocco’s Legal Cannabis Market
Over the past century, cannabis has become increasingly important to the growing population of the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco.
However, the country passed a law in 2021 legalizing the production and medical use of cannabis, as well as authorizing the cultivation of industrial hemp.
While Morocco has begun to legalize medical cannabis and industrial hemp, the Rif remains a hub for illicit production, as recreational cannabis use is still illegal in the country, supporting between 80,000 and 120,000 families, according to 2019 official estimates, as reported by AFP.
But despite the thriving illegal cannabis market, Morocco is striving to establish itself in the global legal cannabis market.
With the legalization of medical cannabis and industrial hemp, Morocco has established the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities (ANRAC) to oversee the legal cultivation and export of cannabis for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes. The agency has granted over 200 licenses related to cannabis processing, seed importation, and product export.
In July, Morocco made its initial legal cannabis shipment to Switzerland, aiming to enter the European medical cannabis market. French media Le Monde reported that in the second quarter of 2024, Morocco exported 100 kilograms of cannabis resin with a THC content below 1% to Switzerland. The resin was sold for between €1,400 ($1,551) and €1,800 ($1,994) per kilogram.
In 2023, Morocco's initial legal cannabis harvest reached 294 metric tonnes (294,000 kilograms) after the country approved its cultivation and export for medical and industrial use, according to the cannabis regulator ANRAC.
Morocco Is World’s Top Cannabis Producer
But despite efforts to regulate the legal market, illegal recreational cannabis production and export continue to thrive in Morocco, which is the world's top cannabis producer, according to the United Nations.
A recent report from the European Union Drugs Agency and Europol shows that most cannabis resin in Europe comes from Morocco and is smuggled into the region via Spain.
Morocco remains the primary supplier of cannabis resin to the European market.
However, there are signs of a potential rise in cannabis resin production within the EU, using locally grown cannabis and new techniques.
In 2021, Spain, the main entry point for Moroccan cannabis resin and a major cannabis producer itself, seized 672.5 tonnes of resin, which accounted for over 82% of the total seized in the EU that year.
