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Rabat – Morocco’s decision to decriminalize cannabis has swiftly risen to prominence among social media users, ranking as the world’s third most engaged post on Reddit.
One recent Morocco World News article about the topic made it to the headlines of Reddit, becoming the third highest ranked on the platform with more than 70,000 overwhelmingly positive upvotes.
As the sudden decision doesn’t align with the typical stereotypes surrounding the Islamic country, people were very enthusiastic about the news.
There were many quips about how some “high” users misread the word “Legalize Cannabis” with “Legalizing Cannibals.” More than 2,200 people were engaged in the comments section.
Morocco’s cannabis coming-out has sparked controversy, however. Those who are less optimistic about the news bring religion to the spotlight to justify their position.
Meanwhile the global popularity of cannabis meant that many people online used Morocco’s announcement to decry the lack of similar cannabis legalization efforts in their own countries while cheering the decision to partially legalize “Moroccan gold.”
The online community was also very interested in how the Moroccan government will further make the industry work when the Justice and Development Party (PJD), Morocco’s ruling Islamist party, has always been against this decision for religious reasons.
Abdelilah Benkirane, the former head of the government and a prominent member of the PJD, has expressed his disagreement. Not only will the legalization of cannabis be bad for Morocco’s reputation, but it will even increase the country’s crime rates, Benkirane argued.
Read Also: Dispelling Morocco’s Five Biggest Cannabis Myths
Foreign internet users, however, reacted with near universal optimism about Morocco’s pending legalization plans. The overwhelmingly positive reaction online revealed how legalization is likely to increase interest in Morocco.
Many commenters expressed the desire to visit Morocco, highlighting that Morocco’s progressive decision is likely to contribute to the country’s tourism sector. One netizen stated, “Woohoo. Another country I’m visiting when the world is a little less crazy.”
Although the production of cannabis will be tightened and its recreational use will remain illegal, many believe that cannabis tourism in Morocco will grow exponentially in the upcoming years. The use of cannabis in Morocco is officially illegal, but the prevalence of its use means the substance is readily available.
Also hoping to benefit from this legalization decision are Morocco’s European neighbors. The availability of traditionally-grown Moroccan medical cannabis, a popular product across Europe, is set to please many Europeans.
One Reddit commenter said, “The crackdown on hashish export in 2020 in Morocco left many towns here in Norway virtually dry, to the point that newspapers were writing about it, prices increased tenfold in some cases!”
The Reddit thread was full of messages of congratulations, with people merrily calling out their countries to follow Morocco and to legalize cannabis.
“Morocco is a great place for a vacation. I had such an enjoyable time there. Can’t wait to go back sometime,” enthused one comment. As news spread in favor of Morocco, tourists appear to be eager to again visit the country once the pandemic ends.
