Bio Cannat association made its first Cannabidiol’s (CBD) oil extraction test at Bab Berred town, near Chefchaouen (Northern Morocco), under the supervision of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities (ANRAC), on Monday.
ANRAC’s head, Mohammed Guerrouj, and Chefchouaen’s Governor, Mohammed Alami Ouadane, were present during the extraction of the first dose of this medicinal oil that was to undergo the necessary analysis.
The oil was extracted from the first legalized cannabis resin plants coming from authorized farms in 2023 subsequent to the legalization of cannabis for therapeutic reasons within Statute 13.21 enacted in 2021.
CBD is a phytocannabinoid that was discovered in 1940, while in 2019 science proved that it has neurological effects in humans, mainly in the treatment of Epilepsy (Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Tuberous Sclerosis complex), as its preliminary research showed potency as efficient as that of anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic remedies.
Bio Cannat was established in 2022 and received permission the same year. The CO2 Recovery Unit, which involves the building and processing of a financial package worth 3.5 million MAD, is made up of the reception area for the manufacturing of dry cannabis, the extraction area, the packing and labeling area, and the final product storage area.
The industrial unit contains a manufacturing capacity of 720,000 flasks of cannabidiol oil (CBD) in diverse concentrations, as well as over 300,000 units of various packing lines.
The BIO CANNAT Cooperative’s manufacturing unit aims to contribute to the development of 16 direct employment opportunities beginning in 2024, adding 2,000 working days in 2023. In the long term, the cooperative hopes to create 70 direct jobs and over 9,000 working days throughout various value chain episodes.
In 2024, the Cooperative intends to sign contracts with other producers over a total area of up to 50 hectares. It will frame production cooperatives–comprising 80 farmers from the Chefchaouen region–to respect various aspects of the ANRAC’s campaign instructions, as well as the agricultural production standards adopted in the marketing of cannabis products.