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Pardons for thousands convicted or wanted for cannabis cultivation

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Morocco's King Mohammed VI has pardoned 4,831 people convicted or wanted on charges related to illegal cannabis cultivation, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The head of Morocco's regulatory body said the pardon would encourage farmers to engage in the legal process related to cannabis cultivation.

Morocco is one of the main producers of cannabis and in 2021 it was allowed to grow and export it, as well as use it for medical or industrial purposes. However, it is still not allowed to use the drug for recreational purposes.

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that Morocco's King Mohammed VI pardoned 4,831 people convicted or wanted on charges related to illegal cannabis cultivation.

“The king's pardon of those charged or convicted will encourage farmers to engage in the legal process of growing cannabis to improve their income and living conditions,” Mohammed El Guerrouj, head of Morocco's cannabis regulator ANRAC, told Reuters.

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See also: Germany legalized marijuana, but there are conditions

According to official figures, Morocco's first legal cannabis harvest in 2023 was 294 tons, with 225 kilograms exported, Guerrouj said. This year, due to an increase in the number of cultivation permits, the harvest is expected to be better, especially since ANRAC allows the cultivation of a local variety of cannabis known as Beldia.

King Mohammed VI of MoroccoGetty Images

Cannabis cultivation in Morocco

Almost one million people live in areas of northern Morocco where cannabis cultivation is the main industry. business activity. Marijuana has been cultivated there for generations and smoked mixed with tobacco in traditional pipes and clay bowls. Its legalization in 2021 was aimed at improving farmers’ incomes and protecting them from drug traffickers who largely control the cannabis trade and export it illegally. Morocco is also seeking to capitalize on the growing global market for legal marijuana, and has granted 54 export permits in 2023.

“The royal pardon has sparked a wave of enthusiastic reactions. The initiative is unanimously seen as a powerful statement of the sovereign's commitment to social justice and socio-economic integration. It also reflects the desire of His Majesty the King to enable these small farmers to reunite with their families, integrate fully into their communities and rebuild their future after being linked to practices once considered illegal,” wrote the pro-government newspaper Le Matin.

Main image source: Shutterstock



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