Past attempts to legalize cannabis farming in Morocco have failed, but the co-ruling PJD party, the largest in parliament, dropped its opposition after the Un drug agency removed the plant from its list of most tightly controlled narcotic drugs. Cannabis is mostly grown in the northern Rif mountains, which in recent years have seen protests over economic inequality. The recreational use of cannabis in Morocco would still be banned. Morocco reduced the amount of land where cannabis is cultivated from 134,000 hectares in 2003 to 47,000 hectares six years ago, the Interior Ministry has said. In December, the UN drug agency’s member states narrowly voted to remove cannabis from the most tightly controlled category of drugs, following the World Health Organization’s recommendation to make research into its medical use easier.

Source: Egypt Independent February 26, 2021 08:37 UTC