The enactment of Morocco’s Law 13–21 represents a significant, yet incomplete, shift from a prohibitionist drug policy to a framework permitting the medical and industrial use of cannabis.
Framework focuses on Rift Valley farmers and private investors
This legal transformation aligns Morocco with global trends, while focusing on the socio-economic needs of small farmers in the Rif region and private investors in the cannabis industry.
However, the law’s focus on socio-economic benefits for cultivators and industrial stakeholders overlooks local consumers and patients, reflecting a limited scope in addressing the full spectrum of cannabis use and its historical, cultural, and social contexts in Morocco.
Historically, cannabis in Morocco has oscillated between periods of legalization and repression, influenced by both economic interests and moral considerations. The recent legalization primarily aims to integrate cannabis into regulated medical and industrial sectors, emphasizing strict cultivation, processing, and quality control standards. However, the exclusion of local consumers from the law’s considerations signals a gap in a holistic approach to cannabis regulation.
Despite the potential economic benefits for farmers and industrial actors, the absence of consumer-oriented provisions and health-focused harm reduction strategies highlights a need for broader regulatory inclusivity.
Morocco should lean more heavily on international best practice
Learning from best international practices and despite the difficulties in implementation, Morocco can adopt social justice models that address the harms caused to specific communities beyond farmers, including consumers and communities that suffered most from repressive cannabis law enforcement.
For instance, programs that expunge past cannabis convictions and criminal records for traditional farmers and consumers must be considered. Cannabis tax revenue allocations must be targeted to rebuild impacted communities, including educational, health and labor infrastructure. Similarly, equity programs focused on reducing disparities in affected areas by setting specific eligibility criteria to access licenses for those from heavily impacted communities should be established.
Beyond Rif farmers who get licenses for cultivation of cannabis through cooperatives, other former non-violent stakeholders of the illegal cannabis market should be supported to transition toward the legal one.
Reinvestments must also target repairing past harms through specific support for formerly incarcerated individuals and their reintegration. By integrating these elements, Morocco can review its policy toward a regulatory model that not only supports traditional farmers but also promotes broader social equity, ensuring that the benefits of legalization are widely and fairly distributed.
The experiences of other jurisdictions, particularly those incorporating social justice frameworks into their cannabis legislation, offer valuable lessons. Programs addressing the expungement of past cannabis convictions, equitable distribution of licenses, and targeted community reinvestment can serve as models for Morocco.
Adopting such social justice-driven regulatory models can help Morocco transition from punitive to supportive policies, ensuring that the benefits of cannabis legalization extend beyond producers to include consumers and communities historically marginalized by repressive drug laws.
By learning from global best practices, Morocco can develop a comprehensive cannabis regulatory framework that promotes social equity and justice, supporting a more inclusive and sustainable cannabis industry.
