Morocco's Cannabis agency to study nascent industry

The National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities has launched tender offers for a study of the industry amounting to MAD 5 million.

Hespress has obtained a copy of the announced tender, revealing that the study aims to “examine the strategic plan of developing legal cannabis sector in Chefchaouen, Al Hoceima, and Taounate.”

The agency was founded pursuant to the provisions of Law No. 13-21 and was assigned the implementation of the state’s strategy in the cultivation, production, processing, marketing, export, and import of cannabis produce for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes.

The study focuses on formulating a medium- to long-term strategic plan to enlarge the legal cannabis sector, which will achieve the project’s drawn objectives, states the agency.

“Morocco aspires to make of the legal cannabis sector a real pole for social and economic development founded on sustainable competitive growth,” further states the nascent national entity.

The agency accentuates that this requires “a coordinated national strategic vision, that must be met with support and mobilization of all interested parties institutionally and economically”.

The study will encompass three main tasks set to be accomplished in no longer than 85 days: a market study for 35 days, strategic construction of a plan in no more than 35 days, and the development of an action plan to implement the strategic plan through the final 15 days.

According to data obtained by Hespress, more than 2,500 hectares of legal cannabis are expected to be cultivated, compared to last year’s 286 hectares.

Meanwhile, 170 cooperatives have been authorized, topping the previous year’s 32. Licenses have also been distributed to farmers planning to cultivate over 2,700 hectares, showing a main surge given last year’s 430 farmers.