From Illicit to Legal: Expert Perspectives on Cannabis Cultivation

The regions of Al Hoceima, Taounate, and Chefchaouen have officially begun the legal cultivation of cannabis as cooperative farmers had already imported seeds for this purpose. Under a newly-devised law, cannabis cultivation can be utilized for legitimate purposes, such as medical and pharmaceutical use, to empower communities and combat drug trafficking.
In a recent phone interview, Professor El Khanchoufi Abdessalam, former director of the National Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (INPA) in the Taounate region, expounded on collaborative efforts between cooperatives and the National Agency for Regulating Cannabis-related Activities (ANRAC) to acquire appropriate seeds for cultivation.
Small-scale farmers need to be integrated into the legal framework through dialogue. The law aims to eliminate illegal cultivation and expand medical cannabis use, as emphasized by Pr. Khanchoufi.
He stated that assessing the social and economic impact of the law on small-scale farmers is currently challenging, but, if successful, the law would integrate young farmers, who were previously operating illegally, into the country’s socio-economic fabric. Cooperatives should engage in dialogue and trust-building initiatives, he suggested.
Expressing concern about the failure to integrate small-scale farmers legally, Abdessalam warned against the potential coexistence of parallel cultivation systems. He called for the involvement of all stakeholders to ensure the law’s success, eliminate illegal cultivation and expand the use of Indian hemp for medical purposes.
Abdessalam voiced his conviction that regulated cannabis cultivation holds promise for the future, particularly given the interest shown by companies in partnering with cooperatives to buy their crops.