Morocco has issued royal pardons to nearly 5000 cannabis farmers, but the Kingdom still faces challenges in its quest to build its industry, including meeting European requirements for export, its own illicit market and price competition from other African countries.
In a 19 August press release published by the Ministry of Justice, it was announced that the King of Morocco granted royal pardons to 4831 people convicted, prosecuted or wanted in cases related to cannabis cultivation. Those pardoned will be able to integrate into the legal market, it states.
Morocco is a semi-constitutional monarchy, with an elected parliament. The King has wide executive and legislative powers, which includes granting pardons to offenders, particularly to commemorate religious and other holidays.
According to Aurélien Bernard, the editor of Newsweed.fr, this is the first time that Morocco is officially publicising pardons granted to cannabis farmers and communicating them to the media. While he believes that cannabis-related offences have previously featured in Morocco’s pardon initiatives, August’s announcement was the first to be widely publicised.
This is in line with the country’s push to transform its legal market and tackle illicit production, Bernard said, with the country still leading in its production of hashish to France and other markets. As previously reported, in-depth analysis from the European Union Drugs Agency and Europol suggested that “most” of the cannabis resin available in Europe comes from Morocco.
First year of legal whole-plant production
Bernard noted ANRAC’s eagerness to communicate its progress, such as its widely-publicised first legal harvest. In March this year, the agency reported that the country’s first medical cannabis harvest in 2023 produced 294 metric tonnes (294,000kg).
“If you put all the cannabis produced on the balance, it will show you 294 tonnes, but it is not usable tonnes,” he said.
“In fact, it’s not tonnes of consumable cannabis, but the whole plant… [including] hemp fibres, stalks, leaves,” Bernard said, adding that it included roots and other parts of the plant that can be used for clothing, building and other purposes, but are not for human consumption.
“But that’s still a nice figure for the year of production,” he concluded. The development of cooperatives in Morocco was also positive, he said, in an industry where farmers looking to legally cultivate must have buyers before being granted authorisation.
Bernard said that continued communications from official channels in Morocco are part of the country’s efforts to turn the page and show a new approach to cannabis politics.
“It shows that they really are moving forward and they won’t let it go, before, maybe, full legalisation in a few years,” he said.
Questioned further, he said that Morocco could establish a recreational market, ‘maybe in the next year’. Bernard said that Morocco could potentially legalise recreational cannabis, if the medical cannabis industry is successful and leads to job creation. “Or they can do like Thailand and decriminalise,” he added.
European regulation, price competition pose challenges
According to ANRAC data published on 21 August by MAP, Morocco’s official news agency, ANRAC has issued 3029 authorisations since early 2024, an uptick from 721 authorisations reported in 2023.
As previously reported by Business of Cannabis in July, Morocco exported 100kg of cannabis resin (with a THC content of less than 1%) to Switzerland, selling its produce for between €1400 and €1800 per kilogram, in the second quarter of 2024.
Bernard said that the export of medical cannabis will be a challenge for Moroccan producers, who will have to meet European regulation and quality standards with their products. He noted that EU-GMP certification is required in Europe as the norm.
EU-GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Certification is required by producers of medicinal cannabis outside of the EU who wish to export to countries in the European Union. The certification demonstrates the company’s commitment to the production of high-quality THC medicinal cannabis flowers that follow EU-GMP principles and guidelines.
Bernard said that he believes that most producers in Morocco ‘are more GACP’, as they produce outdoors, referring to the EU’s Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collecting Practice, but that they will have to bridge any gaps with European regulations in order to successfully export products.
“Competition is tough, particularly in Africa,” Bernard said, naming South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi and Zimbabwe, as producers and competitors.
Morocco could use the demand for its hash products as a competitive advantage, Bernard said, noting that it has developed the landrace-strain (known as Beldia) in the THC version and is looking to develop a CBD version, in particular, as these use less water than hybrid European varieties.
“And it produces, also, a resin that is really the taste of the Moroccan hash. So, if they manage to really put some [territory] around their strain and their products, maybe they will have a competitive advantage on the foreign market…,” he said.
Local market for CBD products has low awareness
The local market for legal cannabis products sold directly to consumers is still lagging behind the illicit hashish trade. In April, Moroccan CBD products were exhibited for the first time at the International Agricultural Exhibition, held in Meknes.
Bernard noted that CBD products such as chocolates and oils are now available over-the-counter in pharmacies across Morocco.
He said reports have suggested that sales in Moroccan pharmacies have been low. “They don’t sell because people are not aware… of [the] products and maybe people don’t need them when hashish is largely available,” he said.
