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Morocco's share in formal cannabis market to remain minimal despite reforms

There are questions as to whether local dynamics in the cannabis-growing region and the prospect of international competition could stunt the government’s attempts to make Morocco a powerhouse for the export of legal cannabis.

A farmer inspects plants in a cannabis field in the village of Azila in Morocco's Ketama region at the foot of the marginalised and underdeveloped mountainous region of Rif on September 16, 2022. - High in the hills of northern Morocco, vast cannabis fields are ready for harvest, but farmers complain that a government plan to market the crop legally is a slow burner. The marginalised region has long been a major source of illicit hashish smuggled to Europe while Moroccan authorities, wary of social unrest,
To:

Al-Monitor Pro Members

From:

Harry Clynch 

Journalist & Features Editor at Disruption Banking 

Date:

June 2, 2023

Bottom Line:

Morocco, the world’s second largest producer of cannabis, is set to legalize production for medical, cosmetic and industrial purposes. On April 30, the country kickstarted its first ever legal cannabis growing season. In March, it began constructing its first cannabis laboratory. The government in Rabat has claimed that legalization will reduce the power of drug lords by encouraging farmers to move towards the legal industry. The government believes the legal industry could prove to be an economically lucrative opportunity for individual farmers and boost revenues for the government. However, there are questions as to whether local dynamics in the Rif region, where most of Morocco’s cannabis is currently grown, and the prospect of international competition could stunt the government’s attempts to make Morocco a powerhouse for the export of legal cannabis.