While in the limelight, cannabis growers speak up on water woes

The recent royal pardon for cannabis cultivators, while a positive step toward legalization, has highlighted the challenges farmers face in transitioning to legal cultivation, including severe water scarcity and increased competition from well-funded entrants.

In a statement last Monday, the Moroccan Observatory for the Regulation of Cannabis highlighted that many factors threaten the integration of farmers into the legalization process. The most pressing issue is the exploitation of major dams in northern Morocco, particularly in Ouazzane and Taounate, to irrigate illegal cannabis fields amid the country’s severe water stress.

Chérif Adraddak, president of the Observatory, warned that the pardoned farmers will now face a challenging water situation.

These farmers, lacking financial and infrastructural resources, must compete with larger, well-established growers. Without immediate support, such as the construction of small dams or regulated water access, they risk returning to illegal activities, with water scarcity being their primary concern.

Larger, better-funded corporations entered the market after legalization, making it more competitive for smaller farms. These bigger organizations have an unfair playing field since they have access to better land, advanced technology, and simpler regulatory navigation. Smaller businesses find it more challenging to obtain the required permissions and licenses, which makes entering the market more challenging.

Due to the lack of practical alternatives for revenue, the region’s economy is heavily dependent on the cannabis industry, which makes farmers rely on this industry even with difficulties in accessing markets and selling their produce through official channels. These problems make it more difficult for them to comply with new rules and turn a profit, especially when combined with infrastructural and technical support deficits.

Adraddak also noted a significant spread of illegal wells, which threatens the remaining groundwater and is beginning to encroach on drinking water supplies for local residents. He suggested building hill dams in cannabis-producing regions to capture rainwater and strictly regulating well construction, as some have now reached hundreds of meters in depth.

The farmers are advocating for small dams and better water management to sustain their crops. The uncontrolled extraction of groundwater is not only depleting resources but also endangering the region’s drinking water supply. As these newly freed farmers return to their fields, they fear that without a coordinated water management strategy, they may be forced back into illegal farming to survive.

Experts agree that the water crisis extends beyond cannabis-growing regions and is a national issue. However, the challenges these farmers face are particularly acute. The lack of legal wells and insufficient infrastructure is pushing them to the brink, threatening to undermine the progress made by legalizing cannabis cultivation.