Morocco Faces Possible Legalization Setback, But Still Has Potential

The North African country of Morocco is one of the world’s leading cannabis producing countries, even though it has not yet legalized medical cannabis. In the past, the reigning monarchy prevented any progress from being made when it came to cannabis, until 2016 when a bill was submitted to parliament by the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) that would have allowed for the legalization of medical cannabis cultivation. That progress would have been beneficial to the country, and so too would any future bills put forth by PAM. Sadly, the party’s head, Ilyas El-Omari, has resigned, and it looks as though cannabis progression may be slowing down in Morocco.

The party currently holds political power, but according to Alarabiya.net, El-Omari’s resignation was likely due to social pressure. El-Omari’s legalization platform was similar to the ones held in the U.S. He maintained that legalization would help unfairly targeting those caught with cannabis, and that it would take the power out of the hands of extremist terrorist groups who hypocritically make money off of cannabis revenue. He is also the governor of an area known for producing cannabis and recognizes the production and cultivation power that his country has.

“Legalization would help address this issue by making all transactions observable and ensuring that poor farmers are not exploited by drug smugglers and Islamists,” he stated in support of legalization, according to Alarabiya. “If you go to the markets where [keif] is sold, the farmers all have Salafi beards. That’s true in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia; it’s always the Islamists who are involved in the drug trade.”

Many advocates are concerned that legalization will lose momentum because of El-Omari stepping down. However, he already had a large following on the far left, and although his party may be more conservative without him, many Moroccans are beginning to see the benefit of monetizing one of their biggest commodities and keeping the profits out of the hands of criminals. This may be a setback for legalization, but one that can certainly be overcome.