Morocco is set to conclude its second official season of legally cultivating its traditional cannabis plant, known locally as “Beldiya”, by the end of this month, according to the National Agency for the Regulation of Activities Related to Cannabis (ANRAC).
A senior official at ANRAC told Hespress that the end-of-May deadline marks the final window for planting under an agreement coordinated with licensed agricultural cooperatives, taking into account delays some farmers experienced this year.
The 2025 cultivation season began later than usual — typically February or March — due to exceptional weather conditions, including heavy rain and snowfall that delayed fieldwork. As a result, most farmers began sowing in early April.
The official noted a significant increase in the planted area this season. Cultivation expanded from around 1,400 hectares last year to between 3,000 and 3,500 hectares in 2025, more than doubling in scale. The rise reflects growing interest from licensed cooperatives and investors in the emerging legal cannabis sector.
Harvest timelines are expected to vary across regions, depending on sowing dates and local climate conditions, especially in Morocco’s mountainous areas.
The “Beldiya” strain is primarily destined for pharmaceutical and medical industries under a stringent regulatory framework established by ANRAC in collaboration with the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA). Regulations require that each licensed cooperative have a pre-arranged contract with an authorized buyer who commits to purchasing the crop for medicinal use only.
Regulations also mandate strict control over THC content. Crops exceeding 1% THC cannot be used or sold, and any unsold surplus must be destroyed to comply with legal and health standards.
Officials hope this transition to a legal framework will open new economic opportunities for mountain regions long associated with illegal cannabis cultivation. The aim is to transform the crop into a state-regulated, sustainable income source that complies with environmental and health norms.
As the planting season comes to a close, attention now turns to the next phase: industrial processing and market integration. The success of this new chapter will depend on how well cooperatives and economic partners meet the regulatory and commercial demands of Morocco’s budding cannabis industry.
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