Rabat – Morocco’s Government Council has decided to postpone discussions on its planned bill 13-21 that intends to legalize cannabis production. The government has not stated when it aims to continue discussions.
The bill aims to permit the legal production of cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic use, to be produced in Morocco’s traditional cannabis-growing region.
The bill, initially developed by Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior, was briefly discussed by the cabinet today. Morocco’s government decided to temporarily postpone discussion of the country’s cannabis legalization plans.
Discussing details
A broad overview of the government’s plans has been available to the public ever since the government announced it would discuss the previously taboo topic.
Morocco’s efforts to partially legalize its famous cannabis industry have happened both suddenly and rapidly. The government announced it would approve the plan mere days after it first announced it would discuss the emirates of the “legal use of cannabis,” early last week.
The bill aims to lift many cannabis farmers from Morocco’s northern regions out of poverty and illegality by allowing the cultivation of the cash crop exclusively in this region.
Which areas the government will designate for cultivation has not been determined as of yet.
Another step
Today, Morocco took another important step towards the goal of legalizing the production of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Morocco first indicated its newfound perspective on cannabis at the UN on December 2. Morocco voted in favor of reclassifying cannabis on the international level to emphasize the plant’s medicinal qualities.
That vote opened the door to a new approach on cannabis in Morocco. The government has indicated its new plan aims to protect farmers and dislodge organized crime from Morocco’s illicit cannabis industry.
Still much remains unclear for millions of cannabis users in Morocco, as well as tourists eager to sample Morocco’s famous plant during their visit to the country.
Incomplete legalization
While Morocco’s government appears ready to eventually discuss legalizing part of its illicit industry, the majority of cannabis production is likely to remain within the domains of organized crime instead of the government’s new agency in charge of regulating the local cannabis industry.
The partial legalization does however provide hope for a new fact-based approach towards cannabis in Morocco. After years of demonization, the country appears ready to benefit from an industry that has for decades grown in the shadows.
Morocco produces an estimated 70% of Europe’s cannabis products, yet only a fraction of this production is included in the government’s plans.
Much of the country’s exports as well as Morocco’s domestic market mainly revolve around cannabis for non-medical use that, although equally harmless to medicinal cannabis, remains heavily stigmatized.
