In a groundbreaking development, Morocco conducted the first official tests to extract CBD (Cannabidiol) oil from Cannabis in a conversion unit in the Bab Berred community—in the province of Chefchaouen—under the supervision of the National Agency for Regulating Activities Related to Indian Hemp.
In the presence of Mohamed El Guerrouj, the General Director of the National Agency, and Mohammed Alami Ouaddane, the prefect of the Chefchaouen region, the tests are the first of their kind since Morocco legalized the production of Cannabis for industrial, pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes in 2021.
Initiated last week, the tests focused on extracting CDB oil for medical use, as well as calibrating equipment and providing samples for analysis and procedural norms.
The process took place in the first industrial unit belonging to the “BIO CANNAT” cooperative which began its construction and equipment back in 2022, adopting the critically acclaimed technology of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction—one of the most efficient extraction methods worldwide.
The conversion unit, which required a financial investment of MAD 3.5 million, consists of several areas, including a receiving area for dried Cannabis production, an extraction area, a packaging and labeling area, and a storage area for the final product.
The production capacity of the industrial unit is 720 thousand bottles of CBD oil with varying concentrations and more than 300 thousand units across different packaging lines.
The production unit of the “BIO CANNAT” cooperative is expected to create 16 direct job positions starting from 2024, noting that it created already 2,000 workdays in 2023.
In the long term, the cooperative aims to create 70 direct job positions and more than 9,000 workdays across value chain activities.
BIO CANNAT aims to market Cannabis products, both domestically and internationally, under the label “Made in Morocco”. Starting in February, the cooperative intends to begin the process of obtaining a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certificate for Cannabis-derived products.
Founded in 2022, the cooperative obtained a license from the National Agency for Regulating Activities Related to Indian Hemp in 2022 to convert Cannabis and its products, as well as another license to market and export them.
In 2023, the BIO CANNAT cooperative inked purchase contracts for legal Cannabis with a production cooperative on an area covering up to 3.5 hectares, in accordance with Law 13.21.
In 2024, the cooperative intends to negotiate supply contracts with production cooperatives for up to 50 hectares.
It will supervise the production cooperatives, which include 80 farmers from the Chefchaouen province, to ensure compliance with the various requirements set by the National Agency for Regulating Activities Related to Indian Hemp and the approved agricultural production standards for marketing Cannabis products.
The BIO CANNAT cooperative also intends to support the cooperatives in obtaining imported and licensed seeds from the National Agency, or using municipal seeds, per the provisions set by the agency in consultation with the National Office for Sanitary Safety of Food.
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