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Morocco’s Ruling Party Calls for Studying Impact of Legalizing Cannabis

Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani, Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party. (MAP)
Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani, Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party. (MAP)
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Morocco’s Ruling Party Calls for Studying Impact of Legalizing Cannabis

Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani, Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party. (MAP)
Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani, Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party. (MAP)

Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD) has called for carrying out a study on the impact of legalizing the use of cannabis in the country.

The party’s general-secretariat suggested opening a “public discussion” in this regard and expanding “institutional consultations” before making a final decision.

It explained in a statement Monday that its members have been considering the “implications of the bill on using cannabis for medical and industrial uses.”

The government will convene Thursday to continue examining the draft bill on the legal use of cannabis. The vote over the issue had been delayed on two separate occasions due to the controversy surrounding it.

The dispute had prompted the resignation of Idris al-Azmi, head of the PJD’s National Council.

Abdelilah Benkirane, the party’s former secretary-general, threatened to resign if its deputies voted in favor of the bill at parliament’s House of Representatives and House of Councilors.

The Interior Ministry had proposed the bill after the World Health Organization approved the use of cannabis for medical purposes and the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs removed it from a list of dangerous drugs.

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UNIFIL Urges Timely Israeli Pullout from South Lebanon under Month-Old Truce Deal

Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon on December 23, 2024, under a delicate ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon on December 23, 2024, under a delicate ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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UNIFIL Urges Timely Israeli Pullout from South Lebanon under Month-Old Truce Deal

Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon on December 23, 2024, under a delicate ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon on December 23, 2024, under a delicate ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) called on Thursday for a timely Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon, citing what it called Israeli violations of a Nov. 27 ceasefire agreement with Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a US-brokered 60-day ceasefire that calls for a phased Israeli military pullout after more than a year of war, in keeping with a 2006 UN Security Council resolution that ended their last major conflict.

Under the agreement, Hezbollah fighters must leave positions in south Lebanon and move north of the Litani River, which runs about 20 miles (30 km) north of the border with Israel, along with a full Israeli withdrawal from the south.

In a statement, UNIFIL voiced concern over what it said was continued destruction by Israeli forces of residential areas, farmland and infrastructure in south Lebanon, deeming this a violation of UN Resolution 1701.

"UNIFIL continues to urge the timely withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (in place of Hezbollah) in southern Lebanon, alongside the full implementation of Resolution 1701 as a comprehensive path toward peace," the statement said.

The Israeli military said it was looking into UNIFIL's criticism and declined further comment for the time being.

Under the terms of its truce with Hezbollah, Israeli forces can take up to 60 days to withdraw from south Lebanon but neither side can launch offensive operations.

Lebanon's army said it was following up with UNIFIL and the committee supervising the agreement regarding what it said was a deepened incursion of Israeli forces into some areas of southern Lebanese areas.

UNIFIL reiterated readiness to monitor the area south of the Litani River to ensure it remains free of armed personnel and weapons, except those of Lebanon's government and UNIFIL.

The ceasefire marked the end of the deadliest confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah since their six-week war in 2006. However, Israel has continued military operations against Palestinian fighters in Gaza.