Morocco’s Former PM Opposes Cannabis Legalization, Cites Public Safety Concerns

26 February 2021 – byGinette · 1 min read

In reaction to the draft law on the legalization of cannabis which was to be examined on Thursday, February 25 in the Council of Government, before being postponed, Abdelilah Benkirane joined the debate by posting on his Facebook page a video dating back to April 2016. In this excerpt from the speech he had given before activists in Salé, the former head of government had addressed the issue, accusing the PAM officials, who were calling for the legalization of cannabis, of hiding behind the farmers and lying to the people about their real motivations.

"Good cannot come from evil," he had said to emphasize that such calls could pose a danger to Morocco. Decriminalizing kif, for Abdelilah Benkirane, would mean expanding the cultivated areas. "And it will be a source of calamities for the country and a serious attack on its image," the former PJD number one had warned, arguing that the consumption of cannabis is at the root of the most heinous crimes.

"We are told about therapeutic virtues while kif intended for medical use costs 14,000 dirhams per hectare while that intended for the manufacture of resin generates between 40,000 and 50,000 dirhams." For him, making the use of Kif legal will not prevent some from using it for undesirable purposes.

By republishing such a video, Abdelilah Benkirane is certainly giving his position on the draft law drawn up by the department of Abdelouafi Laftit, since he had ended his speech with a call to mobilize against the calls of the PAM.

Category: Morocco

Keywords:

Laws Abdelilah Benkirane Abdelouafi Laftit Cannabis Government Council