Cultivation of Indian cannabis... 609 licenses were granted out of 1,063 applications processed
As of the end of last November, the National Agency for the Legalization of Activities Related to Marijuana had issued 609 licenses out of 1,063 applications that had been considered and processed, according to an agency official.
The same official explained, according to what was reported by the official news agency, that 430 licenses were granted to farmers for the cultivation and production of cannabis, while 179 licenses were granted for cannabis conversion activities, 47 of which were for industrial purposes, 7 for medical purposes, and 51 for marketing purposes. 54 for export purposes, 17 for seed import purposes, and 3 licenses for transport purposes.
The same source added that the 179 licenses were issued to 82 stakeholders, including 7 pharmaceutical institutions, 13 cooperatives, 45 companies, and 17 private individuals.
He highlighted that the National Agency for the Legalization of Activities Related to Indian Hemp approved, during the year 2023, 2.1 million Indian hemp seeds, based on 21 import licenses granted by the National Office for Sanitary Safety of Food Products and registered at the customs level, to cover an area of 277 hectares for the benefit of 32 A production cooperative comprising 416 farmers. He added that the recorded production of Indian hemp during the year 2023, at the level of the three regions covered by legalization, amounted to 294 tons, with an average production ranging between 10 and 27 quintals per hectare.
Moreover, during its Administrative Council meeting held this December, the National Agency for the Legalization of Activities Related to Marijuana presented the outcome of its achievements for the year 2022, as well as the level of progress of the technical and financial achievements for the year 2023, as well as the work program for the 2024 season.
In this regard, the official indicated that Moroccan hemp products containing cannabidiol (CBD) can be marketed as food supplements and cosmetics as of 2023 at the national and international levels, highlighting that the relevant decisions were signed in November 2023 by Ministries of Health and Agriculture.
He added that the tracking and monitoring operations carried out by the National Agency for the Legalization of Activities Related to Indian Hemp also showed that all activities related to Indian hemp carried out by farmers and operators during the year 2023 comply with regulatory requirements (keeping regulatory records, authorized areas, and the percentage of “tetrahydrocannabinol” (THC). , and the quantities delivered to actors by production cooperatives). He stressed that the legalization of the Indian hemp sector has received increasing attention from farmers and investors to carry out activities related to the uses of Indian hemp, adding that farmers have expressed a real desire to move to the legal production of Indian hemp.
The same official recorded that the National Agency for the Legalization of Activities Related to Indian Hemp will, during the year 2024, pay special attention to valuing the local variety of Indian hemp and encouraging investment in the Moroccan Indian hemp sector in line with the needs of the global market. In this regard, he explained that Moroccan analytical laboratories can, from now on, conduct analyzes of the content of Indian hemp products for “tetrahydrocannabinol” and “cannabidiol” and grant farmers and operators the necessary certificates to market Indian hemp and its products.
The National Agency for the Legalization of Activities Related to Indian Hemp, created under the provisions of Law No. 21-13 relating to the legitimate uses of Indian Hemp, is responsible for implementing the state’s strategy in the field of cultivation, production, manufacturing, transformation, marketing and export of Indian Hemp and the import of its products for medical, pharmaceutical and industrial purposes.
The agency is responsible for ensuring the evaluation of the stock of Indian cannabis and providing the competent international body with the required evaluations and information in accordance with the Kingdom’s international obligations. It is also responsible for licensing procedures for national and international players in the medical and industrial cannabis industry, seed companies, nurseries and transportation companies, as well as establishing the first cooperatives to transform and manufacture local products whose members are local farmers.
The agency is also entrusted with the task of supporting research with the aim of promoting the use of cannabis in the medical, cosmetic and industrial fields, as well as facilitating administrative procedures in coordination with the relevant administrative authorities, and directing illegal activities into legitimate, sustainable and income-generating activities.
Source : websites