Morocco’s history as a top international producer of cannabis is well known, with most of that production being unregulated. Morocco has served as a top source of smuggled cannabis for many years, particularly hash smuggled into Europe. The country has worked in recent years to modernize its cannabis policies and provide farmers with a path to enter the regulated market. Unregulated cannabis cultivation has decreased dramatically in Morocco in recent decades.
“The Ministry of the Interior revealed that the areas cultivated with illegal cannabis decreased from about 134,000 hectares in 2003 to approximately 15,496 hectares in 2026, a decrease of about 88.43 percent, attributing this to the “field work” carried out by the regional committees tasked with combating the illegal cultivation of this substance.” reported Hespress in its local coverage (translated from Arabic to English).
“In the field of combating international drug trafficking and smuggling, the same ministry said in its report on its achievements for the fiscal year 2026 that the security interventions carried out up to the end of August 2026 enabled the seizure of more than 274 tons of hashish, more than 53 tons of cannabis, 2,956 kg of cocaine, 116 grams of heroin, as well as 856,102 hallucinogenic pills.” the outlet also reported.
A key component of combating the unregulated cannabis industry is increasing the market share for the regulated market. That ingredient for success is vital in Morocco just as it is vital in every other jurisdiction that has a long history with illegal cannabis activity.
In March 2021, Morocco’s government approved a proclamation that legalized the commercial production of medical cannabis. One year later, Morocco selected three regions of the country where legal medical cannabis would be produced (Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen, and Taounate).
The African nation tasked the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC) with regulating Morocco’s cannabis industry. ANRAC held its first meeting in June 2022, approved the first set of legal cultivation permits in October 2022, and the nation’s first legal harvest was reported in March 2024.
Over the course of the last two years, Morocco’s legal industry has increased in size and scope at a steady pace, and it was recently announced that the industry has reached another milestone, with over 140 legal cannabis products now reportedly being manufactured in Morocco.
Sponsored Content
This informative article is brought to you by NUBO CBD →