Morocco Completes Third Legal Cannabis Planting Season

Third Planting Cycle Concludes Under 2021 Framework

Farmers across Morocco's authorized cultivation zones finished planting in June 2026. That completes the third season since the legal program began in 2023. The North Africa Post reported the completion on June 9, 2026, without specifying total acreage or farmer participation figures for the current season.

Morocco enacted Law 13-21 in May 2021, establishing a regulated framework for cannabis cultivation, processing, and export. The first legal planting season began in 2023 after the government issued cultivation licenses and designated geographic zones in the northern Rif region.

Geographic Scope and Licensing Requirements

The legal program restricts cultivation to specific provinces in northern Morocco, primarily in the Rif mountain region where cannabis has been grown for decades. Farmers must obtain licenses from the National Agency for the Regulation of Activities Related to Cannabis (ANRAC), the regulatory body created under Law 13-21.

ANRAC oversees licensing, quality control, and supply-chain tracking. It hasn't published updated farmer enrollment or licensed acreage data for the 2026 season.

Permitted Uses and Export Markets

Law 13-21 authorizes cannabis cultivation for three categories: medical products, pharmaceutical ingredients, and industrial applications including fiber and seed. Recreational cannabis remains illegal in Morocco, and domestic sales of psychoactive products are prohibited.

The framework targets export markets in Europe and North America, where demand for medical cannabis and CBD products has grown. Morocco's proximity to European Union markets and established agricultural infrastructure position the kingdom as a potential supplier, though export volumes haven't been disclosed publicly.

Economic Stakes for Rif Region Farmers

The legal program aims to transition thousands of smallholder farmers in the Rif from the illicit market to regulated cultivation. Before 2021, cannabis grown in Morocco was predominantly destined for the illegal hashish trade, with the kingdom historically ranking as one of the world's largest hashish producers.

Legal cultivation offers farmers access to formal credit, technical support, and stable buyer contracts. The economic impact on the Rif region—where unemployment and poverty rates are high—depends on farmer participation rates and market prices, neither of which ANRAC has reported for the 2026 season.

Processing and Value-Chain Development

Morocco has licensed processing facilities to extract cannabinoids and manufacture finished products for export. The legal framework requires farmers to sell raw cannabis to licensed processors, preventing direct farmer-to-consumer sales.

Processing capacity and throughput data haven't been published. The program's success depends on whether licensed processors can absorb farmer output and secure export contracts at prices that compete with illicit alternatives.

Enforcement and Illicit Market Persistence

The Moroccan government continues to enforce bans on unlicensed cultivation and hashish production. Law 13-21 doesn't legalize existing illicit farms; farmers must apply for licenses and comply with ANRAC regulations.

Enforcement data for 2025 and 2026 haven't been released. Persistence of the illicit market poses a risk to the legal program if farmers find unlicensed cultivation more profitable or if licensing barriers remain high.

Data Gaps and Program Transparency

ANRAC hasn't published comprehensive statistics on licensed acreage, farmer enrollment, harvest yields, or export volumes since the program launched. The lack of public data limits independent assessment of the program's scale and economic impact.

For full background on this story, see the CannIntel topic hub on Morocco's legal cannabis program.

Next milestone? The 2026 harvest, expected between September and November. Whether ANRAC releases production data at that time will determine how much visibility international observers and potential buyers have into Morocco's legal supply.