Morocco Considers Cannabis Legalization, Eyeing $10 Billion Annual Revenue

In early December 2020, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), removed cannabis from the list of risky narcotics after recognizing its virtues. This was enough to trigger passions again around the subject in Morocco. The kingdom is the world’s largest producer of cannabis with an estimated annual quantity of 35,000 tons.

While the country voted "yes" to the UN resolution that removed cannabis from the list of risky narcotics, the deputies had anticipated earlier, in 2015, by submitting a bill aimed at legalizing cannabis for industrial and therapeutic use. According to Azday Benaceur, co-founder of the Moroccan collective for the therapeutic and industrial use of cannabis, the benefits that Morocco could derive from the use of cannabis are enormous. He cites in particular numerous derived products, "such as medicines, fabrics, thermal insulation or beauty products," adding that "the cultivation of cannabis has become cultural in the Rif mountain region." According to him, "it is a culture that involves many production stages, thus generating many jobs that can even involve housewives," specifying that "90,000 households live from this culture that generates income for nearly 760,000 individuals."

However, beyond the social benefits generated by the cultivation of this plant, scientists call for caution. Intervening in a debate on the 2M channel, Prof. Jalal Taoufik, psychiatrist, addictologist and member of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), points out that "the use of cannabis is a double-edged sword." According to him, "on the one hand, the plant contains Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a harmful and medically unusable component. On the other hand, it contains Cannabidiol (CBD), which is the major therapeutic component of cannabis with many benefits." Therefore, he emphasizes, "we must clearly dissociate the uses, before legalizing cannabis."

Furthermore, the specialist insists on respecting certain well-defined scientific criteria in order to be able to exploit cannabis for medicinal purposes. He notably points out that "the cannabis marketed in countries where consumption is decriminalized, and the cannabis from Morocco are very different. [...] The former contains very little THC and a lot of CBD," while "the type of cannabis grown in Morocco is more dangerous, in terms of recreational use, than the former." And he adds that "the plant used must contain very little THC, less than 0.3%, and a lot of CBD, so that it can be exploited and profitable."

The use of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes could bring in some 10 billion euros per year to the kingdom, according to TelQuel. The country would therefore do well to open the debate on the therapeutic and industrial use of this plant, while taking into account the opinions of specialists, in order to avoid exposing its populations to risks that could escape its control.