In March 2021, Morocco’s government approved a proclamation that legalized the commercial production of medical cannabis. One year later, Morocco selected three regions of the country where legal medical cannabis would be produced (Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen, and Taounate).

The African nation tasked the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC) with regulating Morocco’s cannabis industry. ANRAC held its first meeting in June 2022, approved the first set of legal cultivation permits in October 2022, and the nation’s first legal harvest was reported in March 2024.

Over the course of the last two years, Morocco’s legal industry has increased in size and scope at a steady pace, and it was recently announced that the industry has reached another milestone, with over 140 legal cannabis products now being reportedly manufactured in Morocco.

“Mohamed El Guerrouj, Director General of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC), emphasized that Morocco has reinforced its position in the regulated therapeutic cannabis sector.” reported Morocco World News in its local coverage. “El Guerrouj said more than 140 cannabis-based products have been manufactured by the Moroccan industry and officially registered with the Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AMMPS).”

“SMSM President Moualy Said Afif said Morocco’s experience is considered one of the most prominent models in the field, adding that the first scientific day supports efforts committed to contributing to the development of action plans aimed at boosting the use of cannabis for health purposes.” the outlet also reported.

Global demand for cannabis products from Morocco is significant, especially in countries where cannabis cultivation is difficult to do at an elite level. Other African nations are also turning to Morocco to learn more about its cannabis industry regulatory practices and experiences, including Ghana, which engaged with Morocco’s government last year.

Morocco has climate conditions favorable to large-scale cannabis production. A previous study conducted in Morocco found that the Baldiya cannabis strain exhibits a high level of chemical stability. The study was conducted by researchers affiliated with various academic institutions in Morocco, and its findings were published in the journal Food Chemistry Advances.

As of late last year, Morocco’s legal industry had 5,765 active industry permits, 5,492 of which were for cultivation and 273 were for processing, marketing, export, seed import, and transport activities.