In recent years, Morocco’s government has worked to boost the nation’s emerging legal cannabis industry and provide the country’s farmers meaningful opportunities to transition away from the unregulated market into the regulated industry.

Morocco has long served as a top international source for unregulated cannabis, especially hashish. Cannabis flower and hashish from Morocco have historically been very common and popular on the European continent in particular.

As the emerging legal industrial hemp and medical cannabis sectors have continued to spread across the globe, Morocco is seeking to take its rightful spot as a global industry powerhouse through domestic production and international exports. The North African nation recently announced that it has approved several new cannabis-based products, which will further help the country’s industry.

“The Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AMMPS) has confirmed that 67 cannabis-derived products have been granted marketing authorization, including “26 cosmetics and 41 food supplements.”” reported Newsweed in its original coverage.

“Behind these authorizations is a sharp increase in crops. Figures published by the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC) show that the traditional “Beldia” variety has seen spectacular growth.” the outlet also reported.

Last month, Morocco completed its first legal medical cannabis export to Australia. The successful export involved a 50-kilogram batch of the local Baldiya cannabis variety and marked a major milestone for Morocco’s emerging industry.

A recent study conducted in Morocco found that the Baldiya cannabis strain exhibits a higher level of chemical stability compared to other strains commonly cultivated in Morocco. The study was performed by researchers affiliated with various academic institutions in Morocco, and the findings of the study were published in the journal Food Chemistry Advances.

“In this study, a comprehensive analysis of Cannabis sativa L. cultivars was conducted, focusing on the phytocannabinoid profiles of resin from one local cultivar ‘Beldiya’ and four exotic cultivars over three consecutive crop years.” stated the researchers about the focus of their investigation.

“The results showed significant chemical polymorphism among the studied cultivars, with the clustering of phytocannabinoids, indicating three distinct chemical groups based on the concentrations of the major cannabinoids.” the researchers concluded. “In addition, only the local Northern Moroccan cultivar Beldiya demonstrated chemical stability across the three harvest years, whereas the exotic cultivars exhibited heterogeneity from one year to another.”

A market analysis from last year found that Morocco’s emerging legal cannabis industry could reach between $420 million and $630 million in value annually. In March 2021, the government of Morocco approved a proclamation allowing the legal production of medical cannabis. The proclamation was followed by additional policies and the creation of a national agency to oversee Morocco’s emerging legal cannabis industry.