HIBAPRESS – by Chafiq Anouri
The area allocated for the legal cultivation of cannabis in Morocco has witnessed an unprecedented expansion, increasing from 2,169 hectares in 2024 to 4,751 hectares in 2025, representing a growth rate of 119 percent.
The Spanish agency "EFE" highlighted the development of this cultivation in a report, more than three years after its legalization, stating that the mentioned area was cultivated by 5,493 farmers under the umbrella of 366 cooperatives, compared to 2,647 farmers who participated in the 2024 agricultural season. The agency stated that Morocco granted about 4,003 licenses in 2025 for the cultivation, processing, trade, and export of cannabis, an increase of 20 percent compared to the previous year, adding that most of these licenses were directed to farmers for agricultural and production purposes, while only about one hundred licenses were allocated to actors in other activities related to this plant. The Spanish report clarified that the "Cannabis Regulation Agency" granted accreditation certificates for 6.2 million imported cannabis seeds and allowed the use of 399.6 tons of the local variety known as "Baldiya," compared to 171.7 tons in 2024. It also mentioned that 21 dietary supplements and 16 cosmetic products derived from cannabis were registered with the Moroccan Agency of Medicines and Health Products during this year, while "ANRAC" licensed a number of actors to export cannabis products to France, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Portugal, Australia, and South Africa. It pointed out that since its legalization more than three years ago, activities related to legal cannabis are subject to strict monitoring, as "ANRAC" conducted a total of 5,430 inspections in 2025 to verify compliance with the laws, and withdrew 111 licenses from actors who did not adhere to the regulatory controls. The Spanish news agency mentioned that Morocco is one of the prominent producers of cannabis in the world and approved the legalization of the cultivation of this plant for medical and industrial purposes for the first time in 2021, while maintaining the criminalization of "recreational" use, adding that 2023 witnessed the first legal harvest. It indicated that the government aims through the legalization, which exclusively concerns three rural provinces, namely Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen, and Taounate, to improve the living conditions of about 60,000 poor families who live from cannabis cultivation and usually own small fields, according to official data from 2021. Furthermore, the Spanish agency reminded that King Mohammed VI issued an unprecedented pardon in 2024, which included 4,831 traditional farmers who had been subjected to prosecution, investigation, or conviction because of their practice of this cultivation when it was prohibited, continuing that the area allocated to illegal cannabis cultivation in Morocco decreased by 79 percent, as it decreased from 134,000 hectares in 2003 to 27,148 hectares in 2023.
