Morocco will soon make cannabis legal for therapeutic, cosmetic and industrial use. The government sees a business and development opportunity.
The Moroccan House of Representatives voted for the therapeutic, cosmetic and industrial use of cannabis with 119 votes for, and 48 votes against. Most political parties support the law and the parliament is next in line to approve it. Only the Justice and Development Party, an Islamic conservative party, is against the law.
The law, that would make cannabis legal, is meant to grow business opportunities and farmers’ revenue. Earlier in May, the minister of Interior released a report justifying it could increase by 46% the revenue of farmers and represent a market of 58 billion euros in 2028 for the country. This legislation also aims at converting the production for smoking cannabis, which remains an illegal activity in the country, into legal crops.
Morocco, the largest hashish producer worldwide
The plant has grown for years in Morocco, which, according to the government, has provided an expertise of Morocco in the production. Morocco is in fact the largest producer of hashish in the world, the compressed form of cannabis. The infrastructure, and the logistics are also ready to invest the European market legally.
A national agency regulating the activity related to cannabis, created for the new law, will grant authorizations to produce cannabis. It will also support the development of the farms and the acquisition of high-quality seeds.
The law encourages farmers to group together into cooperatives to sign commercial contracts with the industrial sector.
