By Chinasaokwu Helen okoro
U.S. Forbes magazine has lauded the decision of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to pardon 4,831 people convicted, prosecuted, or wanted in cases related to cannabis cultivation, saying the move is an important step toward strengthening Morocco’s position in the global legal cannabis market.
The royal pardon was made on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People celebrated Tuesday August 20 in Morocco.
In addition to its humanitarian aspects, the move reflects the country’s evolving cannabis policy as it will allow those pardoned to integrate into the newly adopted strategy expected to have a significant economic and social impact and contribute to the development of alternative crops and non-agricultural activities, said Forbes.
In 2021, Morocco passed a law legalizing the production and medical use of cannabis, as well as authorizing the cultivation of industrial hemp.
Following the legalization of medical cannabis and industrial hemp, the North African Kingdom has set up the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities (ANRAC) to oversee the legal cultivation and export of cannabis for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes.
The agency has granted over 200 licenses related to cannabis processing, seed importation, and product export.
In July, Morocco made its initial legal cannabis shipment to Switzerland, aiming to enter the European medical cannabis market.
According to press reports, Morocco exported, in the 2nd quarter of 2024, 100 kilograms of cannabis resin with a THC content below 1% to Switzerland.
The resin was sold for between $1,551 and $1,994 per kilogram.
In 2023, Morocco’s initial legal cannabis harvest reached 294 metric tons (294,000 kg) after the country approved its cultivation and export for medical and industrial use, according to the cannabis regulator ANRAC.
