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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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Arab World

Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
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Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)

Pakistan’s Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain sparked controversy when he revealed that 50,000 Pakistanis have gone missing in Iraq over the years.

He urged the Baghdad government to immediately launch a probe into how the Pakistanis entered Iraq to visit religious sites during the month of Muharram, he was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Ummat newspaper.

Islamabad is investigating how people have traveled outside Pakistan through illegal means, he remarked.

The permanent committee for religious affairs and interfaith harmony has since proposed new policies for trips to holy sites in foreign countries, including Iraq.

In Iraq, the minister’s comments drew mockery and condemnation on social media and sparked renewed debate over illegal workers in the country.

Politician Mishaan al-Juburi urged the government to make a statement over Hussain’s comments, warning that they may impact security and the labor force.

Hussain’s comments coincided with Iraqi police announcing the arrest of six Pakistanis in Baghdad on charges of theft.

Previously, military intelligence also announced the arrest of a nine-member Pakistani kidnapping and extortion gang in Baghdad. The gang had kidnapped foreigners for ransom.

Meanwhile, Labor Minister Ahmed al-Asadi expressed his concern and condemnation over the increasing number of illegal workers in Iraq.

He said his ministry will investigate the disappearance of the Pakistanis.

He confirmed that several tourists, including Pakistanis, have flocked to Iraq in recent days, and many have taken up employment without the necessary legal permits.

He warned that this phenomenon is negatively impacting the national economy.

The ministry will not be lenient in taking the necessary legal measures against the violators, he vowed.

Iraq welcomes all tourists, whether they are here on a religious visit or otherwise, but they must respect local laws and regulations, declared Asadi.

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala.