Morocco’s king has pardoned nearly 5,000 people convicted or wanted on charges linked to illegal cannabis cultivation, the justice ministry said in a statement on Monday.
Morocco is a major cannabis producer and has allowed the cultivation, export and use of the drug for medicine or in industry since 2021, but it does not allow it to be used for recreational purposes.
The pardon by King Mohammed VI would encourage farmers “to engage in the legal process of cannabis cultivation to improve their revenue and living conditions,” Mohammed El Guerrouj, head of Moroccan cannabis regulator ANRAC, told Reuters.
Morocco’s first legal cannabis harvest was 294 metric tons in 2023, according to official figures. Legal exports since 2023 so far stood at 225 kilograms, Guerrouj said.
This year it is expected to be higher as the number of farming permits increases and ANRAC allows the cultivation of the local strain known as Beldia.
The 2021 legalization was intended to improve farmers’ incomes and protect them from drug traffickers who dominate the cannabis trade and export it illegally.
Morocco is also seeking to tap into a growing global market for legal cannabis, and awarded 54 export permits last year.
According to Morocco’s news agency, MAP, the royal pardon carries important economic and social dimensions, as it reinforces national efforts to organize and regulate activities related to cannabis cultivation in Morocco.
This initiative is also closely tied to Morocco’s creation of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities, which will play a vital role in overseeing the legal cultivation, industrialization, and export of cannabis.
The royal pardon allows convicted farmers to return to their normal lives, which will enhance their ability to integrate into legitimate economic activity.
It also seeks to support alternative agriculture and stimulate non-agricultural activities in rural and northern areas, promoting sustainable development and creating new job opportunities for local residents.
The royal pardon consolidates Morocco's position as a country that aims to leverage its long-standing expertise to secure a strong position in the global market, MAP said.
