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By Asmaa Bahadi
Rabat – Under the motto “All for alternatives based on sustainable development, health and human rights,” Ilyass ElOmari, President of the Regional Council of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, will organize the first international conference on drugs and cannabis on 18 and 19 March in Tangier.
This conference is part of the preparatory procedures for this year’s United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS), which will address drugs. The session will be held in New York between 19 and 21 April.
Cannabis is commonly known in Morocco by its processed forms “kif” and “hashish.” Morocco is one of the world’s top producers of hashish. Today, nearly all of Morocco’s cannabis production can be found in the Rif Mountains, which stretch from the Mediterranean Sea to the port city of Tangier.
The drug industry provides a much needed economic base for the poor in this region, who rely heavily on the crop for subsistence. This multi-million-dollar industry has continued to grow because of the high demand for the quality cannabis that is produced and processed in Morocco. Both factors explain in part why government efforts to shut down the national drug industry have been unsuccessful.
Buying and smoking kif and hashish remain illegal activities in Morocco. However, some political parties, including PAM and the Istiqlal party, advocate for the legalization of cannabis use in the medical and industrial sectors.
A number of decision-makers will be attending the conference. Driss El Yazami, President of the National Council for Human Rights; Nizar Baraka, President of the Economic and Social and Environmental Council; and Mohammed Tozy ,President of Targa-AIDE, will all be present at the event.
The seminar will also host international drug experts from the following countries: Bolivia, Columbia, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.
