Morocco’s King has granted pardons to nearly 5,000 individuals convicted or sought for illegal cannabis cultivation-related offenses, according to a statement released by the justice ministry on Monday.
Since 2021, Morocco has permitted the cultivation, export, and medicinal or industrial use of cannabis, but continues to prohibit its recreational use.
The recent pardons by King Mohammed VI are expected to incentivize farmers to participate in the legal cannabis cultivation industry, which could enhance their incomes and improve living conditions, according to Mohammed El Guerrouj, head of Morocco’s cannabis regulatory body, ANRAC.
In 2023, Morocco produced its first legal cannabis harvest, totaling 294 metric tons, with exports reaching 225 kilograms so far, according to official data.
Guerrouj noted that this year’s harvest is expected to increase as more farming permits are issued and ANRAC approves the cultivation of the local Beldia strain.
In northern Morocco, where cannabis has been a primary economic activity for generations, nearly a million people rely on its cultivation.
The plant is commonly grown and smoked in the region, traditionally mixed with tobacco and consumed using long-stemmed clay pipes.
The legalization of cannabis in 2021 aimed to boost farmers’ incomes and shield them from the control of drug traffickers, who dominate the illegal trade and smuggling of the crop.
Additionally, Morocco is working to capitalize on the expanding global market for legal cannabis, having granted 54 export permits last year.
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