Cannabis Legalization is gathering pace around the world, with Morocco and Germany acting as epicenters for new legalization developments at this moment. Today, we take a look at the progress of each of these stories to see where they are today; specifically, what year Germany will legalize recreational cannabis by, and the latest progress in Morocco's newly-legalized medical cannabis industry.
Cannabis Legalization is starting to gather pace around the world, with Morocco and Germany acting as epicenters for new legalization developments at this moment.
In Germany, the newly-elected “Traffic Light Coalition” is delivering on its election promise of legalizing recreational cannabis in the country. And in Morocco, new cannabis product manufacturing licenses have been issued after the country legalized its medical cannabis industry earlier this year.
Today, we take a look at the progress of each of these stories to see where they are today. However, rest assured that new developments will unfold in the coming months and weeks, so be sure to keep up to date by downloading our free cannabis news app.
Regarding the push for legalizing cannabis for adults, no other place in the world is stirring up as much excitement as Germany after a new coalition government rose to power in Germany at the end of last year. And the “Traffic Light Coalition” (FDP), as it is commonly called, was very quick to make clear that it is pushing for the legalization of adult-use cannabis and the launch of a regulated market.
Since then, there has been speculation about when Germany will legalize cannabis, with Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) recently stating that legalization will become a reality in 2023.
During the FDP’s election campaign in Lower Saxony on Friday, Christian Lindner told demonstrators holding placards with cannabis leaves that they could expect legalization next year.
However, Federal Drug Commissioner Burkhard Blienert said in July that the cannabis legalization law is unlikely to take effect before 2024. The traffic light coalition will present a marijuana legalization bill late this year or early next year.
Some cannabis advocates are expressing frustration over the protracted legalization process in Germany. This is understandable, given that officially marijuana is illegal in Germany, and prohibition is harmful and ineffective.
It’s essential to keep things in perspective. Germany may not be the first country to develop a nationwide adult-use recreational industry, but it is undoubtedly the first to do so on such a large scale.
The only three countries that have legalized cannabis nationally are Uruguay, Canada, and Malta. Germany’s population is roughly twice as large as all three other countries combined.
The size of Germany’s economy is more than double that of the three countries combined. Germany will certainly legalize cannabis for recreational use, but it has to happen the right way, and that will take time.
Every lawmaker and regulator around the world who wants cannabis legalized is watching Germany very closely right now, because legalization in Germany will essentially be a guide and a marker for other countries.
These are just a few questions that need to be considered to establish a legal framework for the new industry.
The Moroccan Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities (ANRAC) has announced that it has issued ten permits to practice around cannabis under the provisions made earlier as part of the legalization of medical cannabis.
According to an official statement, these first authorizations concern the processing and production of cannabis, as well as the marketing and export of cannabis and its products for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes. The statement also specifies that these allocations are part of the implementation of provisions under Law No. 13-21.
The ANRAC now will launch the process of authorizing farmers installed in the regulatory perimeter (the provinces of Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen, and Taounate) to exercise the activity of cultivation and production of cannabis. This activity will occur within agricultural cooperatives, said the statement, adding that these actors will be gradually authorized based on the needs expressed by the authorized industrialists.
In addition, the statement concludes that the agency continues to analyze the opportunities offered by the cannabis market to develop this sector and promote the conversion of farmers from illicit cultivation to legal, sustainable, and income-generating.
The recent appointment of Mohammed El Guerrouj as acting director general of ANRAC, marks the acceleration of the operationalization of the agency. ANRAC’s mission will be to implement and monitor the ambitious legalization of medical cannabis in Morocco.
The agency will be responsible for authorizing this new sector’s operators. According to local feedback, ANRAC has received numerous requests for authorization, particularly following the publication of six decrees in the Official Bulletin last June, in which all the terms and conditions for participation in the Moroccan cannabis industry are detailed.
In addition to granting licenses, ANRAC is also responsible for developing a set of specifications. The latter provides, among other things, storage conditions, environmental protection, and technical and transport standards. The agency’s mission is to follow the path of cannabis at each of its stages (production, processing, manufacturing, marketing, export, and import) and to accompany operators while developing the cannabis industry.
It is also the agency’s role to certify seeds and plants to be imported and marketed for cultivation in Morocco. These certifications will be based on registered categories, official lists, and cultivable in Morocco under the laws in force.
The agency must also keep records of the authorizations it issues, the various activities and operations related to cannabis, and the stocks of legal Moroccan cannabis.
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(Featured image by David Gabrić via Unsplash)
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