Morocco issues 10 cannabis production/processing authorizations

The Moroccan Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC) has announced that it has issued 10 permits for cannabis-related activities, in line with the measures taken earlier to legalize medical cannabis.

These first authorizations concern the processing and production of cannabis, as well as the marketing and export of cannabis and its products for medical, pharmaceutical and industrial purposes, according to a press release issued by the Agency and reported by the Moroccan media. provisions of law n°13-21 on the legal uses of cannabis.

ANRAC will then launch the authorization process for the farmers within the regulatory perimeter (provinces of Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen and Taounate) to grow and produce cannabis within agricultural cooperatives, the press release states, adding that these players will be authorized progressively on the basis of needs expressed by authorized industrialists.

In addition, the Agency continues to analyze opportunities offered by the cannabis market in order to develop this sector and promote the conversion of farmers from illicit to legal, sustainable and income-generating crops, concludes the press release.

ANRAC at the heart of Morocco's regulatory system

The recent appointment of Mohammed El Guerrouj as interim General Manager of ANRAC marks the acceleration of the agency's operationalization. ANRAC's mission will be to implement and monitor the ambitious project of Legalization of medical cannabis in Morocco.

In particular, the agency is responsible for issuing authorizations to operators in this new sector. According to local feedback, ANRAC has received numerous requests for authorization, particularly following the publication of six decrees in the Official Bulletin last June, in which all the terms and conditions for participation in the Moroccan cannabis industry are detailed.

In addition to granting permits, ANRAC is also responsible for drawing up specifications. These stipulate, among other things, storage and environmental protection conditions, as well as technical and transport standards. The agency's mission is to tracking cannabis at every stage (production, processing, manufacturing, marketing, export and import) and to support operators while developing the cannabis industry.

The agency will also be responsible for certifying seeds and seedlings to be imported and marketed for cultivation in Morocco. These certifications will be based on the categories registered and on the official lists and cultivable in Morocco, in accordance with the laws in force.

The agency is also required to keep registers of the authorizations it has issued, of the various activities and operations relating to cannabis, and of stocks of legal Moroccan cannabis.