Rabat – Morocco’s National Agency for Regulating Activities Related to Cannabis (ANRAC) has issued 2,905 authorizations for legal cannabis production as of April 23.
ANRAC said in a statement this week that 2,942 applications have been examined this year.
The number is a start increase following the 609 authorizations issued last year, covering a total area of 2,551 hectares.
About 2,737 permits were granted to 2,637 farmers in the regions of Taounate, Chefchaouen, and Al Hoceima for the cultivation and production of legal cannabis, a significant increase from the 430 authorizations granted last year.
ANRAC also issued 168 authorizations to 61 operators in the pharmaceutical field, in addition to 16 cooperatives, 37 companies, and seven individuals.
ANRAC detailed that the 168 permits granted to operators are distributed among 48 authorizations for industrial purposes as well as for export purposes, among others.
The National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA) granted 73 authorizations for the use of “beldia” seed covering an area of 1,262 hectares for 73 production cooperatives, and 11 authorizations for areas using foreign seed, covering an area of 286 hectares for 22 production cooperatives.
Areas sown with cannabis in Taounate, Chefchaouen, and Al Hoceima reached 757 hectares of beldia seeds as of April 23.
About 42 different cannabis products were manufactured from the legal harvest of 2023 and submitted for registration by three operators and a transformation cooperative.
This includes 11 cosmetic and personal hygiene products and 31 dietary supplements.
As of April 23, the Ministry of Health issued seven registration certificates, two of which concern dietary supplements, and five concern cosmetic and personal hygiene products, with the remaining products undergoing examination by relevant authorities expected to receive registration certificates soon.
One operator and one cooperative exported 65.5 kilograms of cannabis products to Switzerland.
Earlier this month, a notice from the government’s official journal revealed the logo for Moroccan legalized cannabis products.
The logo should be used as a label on all legalized cannabis products.
Morocco adopted Law 13-21 on the legal use of cannabis in 2021, positioning itself among a growing list of African countries that are approving the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes.
ANRAC announced in March that Morocco’s inaugural legal cannabis harvest yielded 294 tonnes.
