Cannabis Market in Morocco

Medical Cannabis Legalization

On March 11, 2021, the Government of Morocco legalized medical cannabis through Law No. 13-21. The law establishes regulations for the cultivation and use of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes and creates a licensing framework for nine activities:

Cultivation
Nursery creation
Seed import
Seed export
Import of cannabis and its products
Export of cannabis and its products
Commercialization of cannabis and its products
Manufacturing
Transport

The National Agency for the Regulation of Activities relating to Cannabis (ANRAC) is responsible for implementing the State Strategy in relation to the cultivation, production, manufacturing, transformation, commercialization, export and import of cannabis.

The law recommends that farmers set up cooperatives (which are a group of natural and/or legal persons who join together to form an enterprise) to aid negotiations between farmers and manufacturers. The cooperatives are responsible for signing contracts with manufacturers. There are three kinds of cooperatives:

Cooperatives to which members supply products for sale to third parties after their processing or services for supply to the latter.
Cooperatives that produce goods or provide services for their members.
Cooperatives that offer paid employment to their members.

ANRAC has an informative guide that lists all the specific regulations that apply to the different activities relating to medical cannabis.

Cannabis products containing more than 1% THC are strictly pharmaceutical. From June 1, 2024, CBD-based products became available in Moroccan pharmacies, including food supplements and cosmetic products. Dietary supplements may contain up to 0.3% THC, while cosmetic products must have no THC. Additionally, under Law No. 13-21, processors and manufacturers may open their own points of sale – offline or online – as long as they meet legal criteria and obtain an authorization from ANRAC.

Obtaining a Cannabis Authorization in Morocco

Licensing process:

Submit an applicant on paper or electronically to ANRAC.
ANRAC forwards a copy to the Advisory Committee members and reviews the application. The opinion of the Advisory Committee are also taken into account.
Within 60 days from the date ANRAC receives the application, they will decide whether the application should be approved or denied. If the application is approved, the applicant will be informed.

Cultivation and Production

Requirements to obtain the authorization:

The applicant must be a Moroccan national.
The applicant must be at least 18 years old.
The applicant must be a resident of one of the douars (administrative divisions) of the provinces of Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen and Taounate.
The applicant must be a member of a cooperative created under Law No. 112-12.
The applicant must own the land where cannabis will be cultivated and produced OR have approval from the owner to cultivate or produce cannabis on the land OR have a certificate issued by the local administrative authority attesting to the fact that the applicant is exploiting the land in question.

Documents to submit with the application:

A copy of the applicant’s ID card with an updated address.
An application prepared in accordance with the template found on ANRAC’s official website.
A certificate of ownership of the parcel being farmed in the applicant’s name OR a document justifying the agreement of the owner of the parcel to allow the applicant to cultivate cannabis there OR a certificate issued by the local administrative authority attesting that the applicant is cultivating cannabis on the land in question.
A document proving membership in a cooperative formed under Law No. 13-21.
A plan of the plot of land attached to the Lambert coordinates issued by a topographer registered with the national order of the geometrician-topographer engineers, stating the area of the plot of land.

Obligations of the holder of the authorization:

Comply with the regulations relating to the cannabis activity being performed.
Only use cannabis seeds and plants certified by ANRAC.
Deliver all of the produced crop to the respective cooperative.
Only deliver cannabis in the presence of a commission appointed by ANRAC and produce a report in accordance with the model set out in Joint Order No. 1294-22 of May 12, 2022.

Establishment and Operation of Cannabis Nurseries

Requirements to obtain the authorization:

The applicant must be Moroccan national.
The applicant must be at least 18 years old.
The applicant must satisfy conditions envisaged by the legislation and regulation in force relating to the production and marketing of seeds and seedlings.

Documents to submit with the application:

A copy of the applicant’s ID card with an updated address.
An application prepared in accordance with the template found on ANRAC’s official website.
A certificate of ownership of the parcel being farmed in the applicant’s name OR a document justifying the agreement of the owner of the parcel to allow the applicant to cultivate cannabis there OR a certificate issued by the local administrative authority attesting that the applicant is cultivating cannabis on the land in question.
A layout of the parcel in Lambert coordinates issued by a topographer registered with the national order of the geometrician-topographer engineers, stating the area of the parcel.

Obligations of the holder of the authorization:

Comply with the regulations relating to the cannabis activity being performed.
Only use cannabis seeds and plants certified by ANRAC.
Ensure that cannabis seeds and plants are stored in secure and supervised warehouses.
Only sell cannabis seeds and plants to persons authorized by the ANRAC for cultivation and production of cannabis.
Only destroy any part of cannabis seeds or plants if a commission appointed by ANRAC is present. Establish a procedure according to the model in the regulations.

Processing and Manufacturing Cannabis

Requirements to obtain the authorization:

The applicant must be an incorporated company or other legal entity governed by Moroccan law.
The applicant must have sufficient material and human resources.
The applicant must have the necessary approvals to carry out the relevant activities.
The applicant must be prepared to sign the sales agreement set out in article 10 of Law No. 13-21.

Documents to submit with the application:

An application prepared in accordance with the template found on ANRAC’s official website.
A copy of the company’s articles of association or of other incorporation documents of the legal entity.
A description of the material and human resources available to the applicant, including an organization chart and the CVs of the staff in charge.
A sworn statement to sign the sales agreement drawn up in accordance with the template found on ANRAC’s official website.

Obligations of the holder of the authorization:

Comply with the regulations relating to the cannabis activity being performed.
Only buy cannabis crops from cooperatives.
Ensure that cannabis seeds and plants are stored in secure and supervised warehouses.
Only destroy any part of cannabis seeds or plants if a commission appointed by ANRAC is present. Establish a procedure according to the model in the regulations.

Commercial sale, Export and Import of Cannabis Authorizations

Requirements to obtain the authorization:

Comply with the regulations relating to the cannabis activity being performed.
Only buy cannabis crops from cooperatives.
Ensure that cannabis seeds and plants are stored in secure and supervised warehouses.
Only destroy any part of cannabis seeds or plants if a commission appointed by ANRAC is present. Establish a procedure according to the model in the regulations.

Documents to submit with the application:

An application prepared in accordance with the template found on ANRAC’s official website.
A copy of the company’s articles of association or of other incorporation documents of the legal entity.
A description of the material and human resources available to the applicant, including an organization chart and the CVs of the staff in charge.

Obligations of the holder of the authorization:

Comply with the regulations relating to the cannabis activity being performed.
Ensure that cannabis seeds and plants are stored in secure and supervised warehouses.
Only destroy any part of cannabis seeds or plants if a commission appointed by ANRAC is present. Establish a procedure according to the model in the regulations.

Transport of Cannabis and Its Products

Requirements to obtain the authorization:

The applicant must be an incorporated company or other legal entity governed by Moroccan law.
The applicant must have sufficient material and human resources.
The applicant must have the necessary approvals to carry out the relevant activities.

Documents to submit with the application:

An application prepared in accordance with the template found on ANRAC’s official website.
A copy of the company’s articles of association or of other incorporation documents of the legal entity.
A description of the material and human resources available to the applicant, including an organization chart and the CVs of the staff in charge.

Obligations of the holder of the authorization:

Comply with the regulations relating to the cannabis activity being performed.
Ensure that cannabis products being transported are in sealed packages or containers in order to prevent substitution or mixing of their contents with other products.

Import and Export of Cannabis Seeds and Plants Authorization

Requirements to obtain the authorization:

The applicant must be a Moroccan national.
The applicant must be at least 18 years old.

Documents to submit with the application:

An application prepared in accordance with the template found on ANRAC’s official website.
A copy of the applicant’s ID card with an updated address.

Obligations of the holder of the authorization:

Comply with the regulations relating to the cannabis activity being performed.
Only use seeds and plants certified by ANRAC.
Ensure that cannabis seeds and plants are stored in secure and supervised warehouses.
Only destroy any part of cannabis seeds or plants if a commission appointed by ANRAC is present. Establish a procedure according to the model in the regulations.

All authorizations are valid for 10 years.

The application for a renewal of an authorization happens through the same process as the application for an initial authorization.

Morocco is targeting Europe with its exports of medical cannabis and the Moroccan Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry and Innovation believes that within four years it could secure a 10% to 15% share of the European market which would bring the country annual revenue of 400 to 600 million euros. In the second quarter of 2024, Morocco made its first export of 100kg of cannabis resin to Switzerland. In addition to its current exports of cannabis in the form of dry matter or resin, Morocco also wants to progress towards exporting finished products.

How to Export Medical Cannabis to Europe?

As of April 2024, 42 cannabis products were submitted for registration to the Medicines and Pharmacy Directorate – 11 cosmetic and personal hygiene products and 31 food supplement products. More than 22 products have been approved for release onto the market.

ANRAC reported that the first harvest of medical cannabis in 2023 produced 294 tonnes. In 2024, legal cannabis production was 14 times higher at 4,082 tonnes. More than half of it came from Beldia cannabis seeds – a local variety. The country’s medical cannabis production appears to be growing at a fast pace with an increase in cannabis cultivation area from 286 hectares in 2023 to more than 3,000 hectares in 2024: a jump by more than 10 times.

Morocco has historically been one of the largest producers of unregulated cannabis. It is estimated that in 2019, cannabis was grown illegally on 55,000 hectares which is more than 18 times greater than the 3,000 hectares on which it is currently grown legally. With such high growing capabilities, once the legal industry matures, it can bring large amounts of revenue as well as support Moroccan farmers, with Al-Monitor estimating that in the future legal growers might make a 12% turnover compared to 4% on the illegal market.

On August 19, 2024, the Justice Ministry reported that Morocco’s King Mohammed VI pardoned over 4,800 farmers who faced prosecution or convictions for illegal cannabis cultivation. This offers the farmers an opportunity to participate in the new legal cannabis market.

In 2024, ANRAC issued 3,371 authorizations which is 368% up from the 721 authorizations that were issued in 2023. Of these, 3,056 authorizations were issued to 2,907 farmers (more than 7 times the number of authorizations for cultivation and production granted in 2023), and 315 authorizations to 158 operators. The 315 authorizations include 77 processing authorizations, 83 marketing authorizations, 57 export authorizations, 35 seeds import authorizations, one authorization for seeds export, 2 authorizations for the creation and operation of a cannabis nursery, and 50 transport authorizations.

ANRAC has certified 7.7 million imported cannabis seeds. In 2024, ANRAC authorized the use of Beldia cannabis seeds and 171,700 kilograms have been authorized for use by 112 cooperatives. The Beldia strain can be grown with minimal irrigation which makes it a good choice for small-scale farmers.

In December 2024, a Moroccan laboratory launched the first Moroccan CBD-based medication intended to treat drug-resistant epilepsy. The medicine received marketing authorization in September 2024 and its commercialization was planned for the first half of 2025. Its commercialization will improve Moroccan patients’ access to local, less expensive medicine and help 100,000 Moroccans suffering from recurring daily seizures. This demonstrates the country’s innovativeness and positions it as a player in the global medical cannabis market.

On June 17, 2025, the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and ANRAC signed a partnership agreement to work together on researching the medical and pharmaceutical uses of cannabis in Morocco. Research will also be carried out on the Beldia strain to develop higher-performing and more productive seeds. The discoveries made will assist in understanding how the active compounds in cannabis might help treat certain illnesses and may lead to the creation of new cannabis-based medicines.

Morocco Cannabis Infographics

How Can Cannabusinessplans Templates Help Start or Grow Your Cannabis Business?

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