Morocco Exports First Legal Medical Cannabis To Australia
Cannabis being exported from Morocco to markets in other countries is not a new thing. After all, Morocco has served as a top source for unregulated cannabis for decades. However, policymakers and regulators in Morocco have worked in recent years to transition the nation’s cannabis industry into a regulated system.
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.
A significant focus of the cannabis policy modernization effort in Morocco was to promote international exports of medical cannabis products to other countries, aiming to boost the domestic Moroccan economy. This effort reached a major milestone this month, with Morocco’s legal cannabis industry completing its first export to Australia.
“Morocco has officially entered the international medical cannabis market with its first export to Australia.” reported APA News in its local coverage. “This initial shipment marks a significant milestone for the country, which is rapidly formalizing its cannabis industry.”
“A 50-kilogram batch of the local Baldiya cannabis variety was shipped to Australia this week, following a successful quality control sample sent in June.” the outlet also reported.
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 cannabinoid composition of the resin from the studied cultivars was analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with a triple-stage quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-MS/TSQ Endura) to evaluate the chemical variability in phytocannabinoid compounds among the cultivars and across the harvest years.” the researchers wrote about their methodology.
“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.