Legal Cannabis: An Emerging Industry Under ANRAC’s Stewardship

Nearly four years after enacting Law 13-21 governing legal cannabis uses, a fully-fledged industrial sector is coalescing around this plant and its derivatives. This transformation owes its success primarily to public authorities implementing a tailored legal framework that comprehensively addresses every stage of the value chain: cultivation, production, manufacturing, processing, marketing, cannabis exportation, and medical/pharmaceutical/industrial product importation.  

The resulting regulatory environment – both stringent and transparent – enables the orderly, sustainable growth of this emerging industry. The National Agency for Cannabis Regulation (ANRAC) proves instrumental in this process, serving as the central catalyst for developing an enduring ecosystem that positions legal cannabis as an engine of economic competitiveness, local employment, and responsible regional development.  

Practically speaking, ANRAC’s sectoral revitalization efforts have driven substantial licensing growth across all regulated activities. Exclusive figures obtained from the Agency confirm 7,035 operational permits currently active for cannabis-related operations, accounting for authorizations issued in 2023-2024 that became fully operational by 2025.

6,400 hectares dedicated to cultivation

The authorization breakdown reveals 6,823 operational permits allocated to farmers for cannabis cultivation and production. The remaining 212 permits cover supplementary sector activities: 123 authorizations for processing/manufacturing operations, 15 for commercialization, 12 for exportation, 24 for seed importation, and 38 for cannabis/product transportation.  

Regarding cultivation areas, ANRAC approved approximately 6,400 hectares during the first half of 2025, based on permissions granted by ONSSA to relevant cooperatives. A majority of this land cultivates the “Beldia” variety, which is strictly designated for medical and pharmaceutical industries.  

The remaining cultivation areas focus on imported seeds. ANRAC deploys comprehensive measures to ensure compliant seed importation processes, with 15 completed import operations executed under 34 ONSSA-issued authorizations to 23 seed importers, according to ANRAC sources.  

Drones Monitoring Supply Chains

A defining characteristic of this industry lies in its rigorous oversight, with every phase of the value chain adhering to strict standards and undergoing meticulous controls. While these measures may initially appear intensive, they constitute essential prerequisites for the sector’s long-term viability and success. ANRAC ensures compliance with Law 13-21 and activity-specific technical specifications through close coordination with regulatory bodies, including ONSSA and Customs. This spans rigorous seed verification and comprehensive cannabis flow monitoring, regardless of form.  

Specifically, ANRAC enforces transportation protocols for imported seeds from entry ports to designated distribution points and mandates meticulous seed import registries maintained by authorized importers.  

Further reinforcing oversight, all cultivation and production activities operate through a centralized cannabis flow digitalization platform. Enhanced by drone surveillance, this system enables ANRAC to: Track daily sowing/transplantation progress; Geolocate planted plots remotely; Catalog seed varieties, origins, and quantities per plot and cross-reference operational data with regulatory benchmarks

This integrated technological framework ensures granular compliance across all production stages while maintaining audit-ready transparency.

16 Processing Facilities Currently Under Development

The industrial sector shows tangible progress with 5 operational cannabis processing units in 2025, underscoring investor interest in this emerging market. These initial facilities will soon expand significantly, with 16 additional processing plants currently under construction and in the equipment installation phase. Specializing in derivative products such as cannabis-based dietary supplements and cosmetics, these manufacturers receive close guidance from ANRAC to meet stringent regulatory and health requirements.  

To streamline operator support, ANRAC established a formal partnership protocol with Morocco’s Medicines & Health Products Agency (AMMPS) and dedicated advisory structures to assist operators in registering cannabis-derived products. To date, 55 products have been officially registered: 29 dietary supplements and 26 cosmetics/personal hygiene items, according to ANRAC data. Operators also benefit from strategic guidance on product positioning and market entry strategies.  

For cannabis-infused food products—particularly those containing CBD—ANRAC collaborated with ONSSA to develop a health compliance framework governing production and commercialization facilities. This joint effort has yielded 12 ONSSA-approved products from two licensed operators.  

GACP Certification: Gateway to Global Markets

Ensuring product compliance with international buyer requirements—particularly in key European markets—has required extensive regulatory analysis and framework development. This strategic initiative aims to competitively integrate Moroccan operators into sustainable global value chains through customized, up-to-date compliance guidelines specifically adapted to Morocco’s legal and agricultural context.  

Central to market access is adherence to internationally recognized quality certifications. ANRAC emphasizes compliance with critical standards such as Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) for cultivation and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for medical/wellness products, noting that non-compliance remains a primary barrier to market entry.  

Equipped with these certifications, Moroccan operators successfully exported cannabis-derived products in 2025 to diverse markets including Europe, Australia, and Africa. This milestone reflects both the sector’s growing technical sophistication and ANRAC’s targeted support in aligning national operators with global pharmaceutical and agricultural trade protocols.  

Stringent Seed Control Protocol

Seed regulation operates through a two-phase verification system. Initial inspections at entry ports validate: authorized quantity thresholds, phytosanitary certification validity, seed origin documentation, non-GMO certification, THC/CBD analytical reports, and imported seed germination rates.  

Post-clearance, ONSSA collects seed samples for comprehensive analysis at its Beni Boufrah facility in Al-Hoceima, conducting trials to qualify strains for Morocco’s official agricultural catalog. Supporting this framework, 7 ANRAC-accredited laboratories now operate nationally, providing authorized farmers and operators with standardized THC/CBD cannabinoid profiling services to ensure regulatory compliance across cultivation inputs.