The first legal Moroccan cannabis harvest overseen by the cannabis regulator ANRAC yielded 294 tons in 2023, a well-informed source said.
“The average cannabis production per hectare varied from 10 to 27 quintals,” the source noted.
ANRAC told Reuters that 32 cooperatives, including 430 farmers, were involved in Morocco’s first cannabis harvest, spanning 277 hectares in the northern Rif Mountain regions of Al Houceima, Taounat, and Chefchaouen.
This year, ANRAC is reviewing applications from 1,500 farmers organized into 130 cooperatives.
ANRAC green lighted the cultivation of the local drought-resistant “Beldia” landrace this month.
Typically, planting for imported seeds starts in April, with cannabis harvests occurring in August of the same year. On the other hand, seeding for “Beldia” begins in February, with harvests taking place in July of the same year.
“Beldia” is well-known for its distinctiveness and therapeutic qualities in its derivatives, and it has been authorized for industrial use in the cosmetic or pharmaceutical sectors.
Established under Law No. 13-21, ANRAC is tasked with implementing the state’s strategy for the cultivation, production, manufacturing, processing, marketing, and export of cannabis.
The United Nations drug agency says approximately 47,000 hectares of the Rif region are dedicated to cannabis cultivation–a third of the area relative to 2003–due to government interventions.
Nearly a million people reside in the northern Moroccan areas where cannabis cultivation serves as the primary economic activity.