Morocco has quietly become one of the most important cannabis stories in Africa. After decades of informal cultivation in the Rif Mountains, the country formalized legal cannabis farming in 2021 — and the effects are still reshaping the industry heading into 2026.
From Informal Tradition to Regulated Industry
The Rif region has grown cannabis for generations, historically feeding an unregulated hashish trade. Morocco’s 2021 law created a legal licensing framework allowing farmers to grow cannabis for medical, cosmetic, and industrial purposes — bringing a long-standing informal economy into the legal fold.
Who Can Legally Grow Now
Licenses are issued through Morocco’s National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC), primarily targeting farming cooperatives in traditional growing provinces. The goal is to give existing growers a legal pathway rather than opening the market to entirely new commercial players.
Why This Matters for the Broader Industry
Morocco is now one of the world’s largest cannabis-producing regions by volume. Formalizing this supply chain gives Morocco significant leverage in the growing global market for cannabis-derived cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products.
What’s Not Legal
Recreational use and sale remain prohibited. This law is specifically about regulating cultivation and the supply chain for medical, cosmetic, and industrial end uses — not about opening a consumer cannabis market.
Looking Ahead
As licensing expands and more cooperatives move into the legal system, Morocco is positioning itself as a major exporter to European pharmaceutical and cosmetics markets, with ripple effects likely across North African cannabis policy more broadly.