Morocco: Commission recommends legalizing cannabis

Launched a year ago by royal decree, the Special Commission on the Development Model (CSMD) is seeking solutions to accelerate Morocco’s development. Among the many topics addressed is cannabis. During a workshop held on July 23 to address this issue, the Commission concluded that, to date, the crackdown on cannabis has not been effective and recommends legalizing the cultivation and consumption of cannabis.

«Faced with this problem, we’ve tried everything, and nothing has worked. We can’t go against the tide. We now have to make a choice,», says Camelia Benaskour, business strategy consultant.

Cannabis provides a livelihood for approximately 90,000 households in Morocco—or 700,000 people—according to official statistics from the Ministry of the Interior. The many Moroccan farmers who grow cannabis, however, depend on the black market, which reaps most of the financial benefits associated with the plant. Nevertheless, «50% of household income» in the cultivation areas comes from cannabis, which can generate up to 80,000 DH (18,500€) per year per family—an amount that remains higher than the average for other crops.

Repression is also driving cartels to ramp up cannabis production, using strains that produce higher levels of THC and consume more water, thereby creating additional environmental problems for already impoverished lands. Yields are higher, but this also requires fertilizers to push the plants to their limits and maximize the production of trichomes.

The Commission noted that cannabis was legal in Morocco until 1932, when the French protectorate decided to ban its cultivation and restrict it to production for the Tobacco and Kif Authority until 1954. It believes that legalization would revive this Moroccan tradition, in addition to generating greater revenue for farmers and creating an industry estimated to be worth €800 million in its first year. and more than 9 billion in the long run.