The Moroccan Ministry of Justice stated in a statement that "King Mohammed VI issued a pardon for about five thousand convicted or wanted for charges related to the illegal cultivation of cannabis." Morocco is a major producer of cannabis and has allowed the cultivation, export, and use of the product in medicine and industry since 2021, but does not permit its use for recreational purposes.
Mohammed El Krouj, the Director General of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities, mentioned in a press interview that "the royal pardon is expected to encourage farmers to cultivate cannabis legally to improve their revenues and living conditions." El Krouj added that the first legal cannabis harvest in Morocco reached 294 tons in 2023, according to official figures. Legal exports since 2023 have amounted to 225 kilograms.
This year’s harvest is expected to be larger with an increase in the number of cultivation permits. The National Agency permits the cultivation of the local strain known as Beldia. Approximately one million people live in northern Morocco, where cannabis is the main economic activity. Cannabis has been grown and smoked there publicly for generations, often mixed with tobacco in traditional long stem pipes with pottery bowls.
The goal of legalizing cannabis cultivation in 2021 was to improve farmers' incomes and protect them from drug traffickers who dominate its illegal trade and export.
