Morocco pardons 4,800 cannabis farmers

Morocco's King Mohammed VI granted a pardon to nearly 4,800 individuals convicted, prosecuted, or sought on charges related to illegal cannabis cultivation, according to a statement from the justice ministry released on Monday.

The pardon is intended to encourage farmers to participate in the legal cannabis industry, aiming to enhance their income and living standards, Reuters reported.

Mohammed El Guerrouj, head of the Moroccan cannabis regulatory body Anrac, stated that the initiative is designed to "allow these farmers and their families to live in peace and take part in the new dynamic of legalization."

Morocco, the world's leading producer of cannabis, enacted a law in 2021 that legalized the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes in the rural provinces of the Rif region.

This legislation was crafted to support the local farmers who have grown cannabis for centuries, providing livelihoods for between 80,000 and 120,000 families as of 2019.

El Guerrouj described the royal pardon as a crucial step toward eliminating illicit cannabis cultivation by integrating farmers into the legal framework or providing them with alternative crops.

Anrac, established in 2022 under the new law, has seen a dramatic increase in cannabis cultivation licenses issued in 2024.

The agency approved nearly 3,000 licenses as of August, a significant rise from the 609 permits issued in 2023.

Despite the legalization of medicinal and industrial cannabis cultivation, Morocco maintains a ban on recreational use. The country remains a major supplier of cannabis resin to Europe’s illicit market, according to the European Union Drugs Agency and Europol.