The Moroccan Cannabis Legalization Framework Becomes Clearer

Moroccan cannabis legalization has just achieved another important milestone with the publication of the six decrees needed to finalize the regulatory model in the county. The laws are roughly based on establised frameworks used by other countries, and set out details such as the technical specifications like permissible THC levels, and the procedures for licensing cannabis-related activities.

The overall architecture of what will be the Moroccan model of production and marketing of cannabis for therapeutic use is now complete. The legal arsenal has just been enriched by the publication of six decrees supplementing Law No. 13.21 on the legal uses of cannabis.

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Moroccan Model Mirrors Other Countries

“Like the countries which have already supervised this activity, in particular for therapeutic and medical purposes, the Moroccan model opts for the authorization and regulatory system for the development of this agricultural and industrial sector with the opening of the system cooperative with growers of cannabis resin,” reads the daily Les Inspirations Eco.

Cannabis Regulatory Agency

Held last week under the chairmanship of Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, the meeting of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities (ANRAC) falls within this framework. The agenda for this meeting covered several points, including the approval of the Moroccan Agency’s organization chart and the status of its staff, as well as its budget for the year 2022. 

The Agency’s action plan for the current year was also reviewed. “It includes several areas including the adoption of specifications setting the technical criteria relating to the activities of cultivation, production, processing, and industrialization of cannabis, as well as its seeds and plants”, indicates the publication. It also concerns the marketing, export, and import of these products for industrial purposes, in addition to the procedures for granting authorizations to national and international operators in the Moroccan medical and industrial cannabis industry, seed companies, nurseries, and transport companies.

“It is on the basis of a sales contract that the methods of production and harvesting will be managed between the sellers (cooperatives) and the buyers (processing companies). The Moroccan model contract governing the relationship between these two parties has already been published as part of the fulfillment of the aforementioned legal arsenal published in the Official Bulletin of June 2, 2022,” specifies the daily.

Moroccan Licensing Procedures

The procedures for issuing Morrocan cannabis licenses, the models of contracts for the sale of cannabis crops, the minutes of delivery of the crops mentioned, and the records of destruction of surplus production of cannabis, its seeds, plants, crops, and products, the conditions and procedures for the approval of cannabis seeds and seedlings by the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-related Activities.

Everything goes there, in addition to the forms of registers, the procedures for their issuance by the ANRAC and holders of Moroccan cannabis-related licenses, as well as the proportions of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and the procedures for reporting damage and losses that may affect cannabis crops.

The Moroccan regions in which it is permitted to authorize activities related to the cultivation, production, establishment, and exploitation of cannabis (Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen, and Taounate) are also specified. “The possibility of adding other provinces is conditioned by the interest shown by national and international investors in activities related to the cannabis production chain”, it is explained.

The Moroccan population affected by the illegal cultivation of cannabis in Morocco is estimated at 400,000 people or nearly 60,000 families. By 2028, the annual growth rate of the global medical cannabis market will be around 30%, while in the European market, this annual rate will be almost double (60%), according to studies. Feasibility studies were already drawn up by the Ministry of the Interior concerning the development of therapeutic cannabis in Morocco.

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(Featured image by Michael Fischer via Pexels)

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First published by Le 360, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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