Cannabis in Morocco: why are licenses being revoked?

Cannabis in Morocco is facing tighter oversight. During the 2026 agricultural campaign, the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC) revoked 1,490 authorizations related to the sector due to non-compliance with regulatory procedures. The move comes as the country expands legal production aimed at medicinal, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes.

According to reporting by the Spanish magazine Cañamo, based on data released by Moroccan media outlets, around 1,300 revoked authorizations were related to cultivation, while approximately 190 involved other activities, such as seed importation, processing, commercialization, export, and transport.

The figure refers to cannabis authorizations in Morocco, and not necessarily to distinct farmers or businesses. The distinction is important for understanding the scope of the measure and the challenges of a market in transition.

Cannabis in Morocco: why were licenses revoked?

The withdrawal of cannabis license authorizations in Morocco is tied to non-compliance with regulatory procedures. ANRAC is responsible for granting, renewing, and revoking permits, as well as inspecting cultivation areas and processing units.

The move is part of an effort to exert greater administrative control over the supply chain. In April 2026, the agency's director general, Mohamed El Guerrouj, reported that 7,526 inspections were conducted throughout 2025. During that period, 111 authorizations had been revoked, while proceedings were opened involving more than 1,400 permits.

The previous data, however, does not allow for confirming whether these proceedings correspond directly to the authorizations withdrawn in 2026.

Moroccan legislation outlines nine cannabis-related activities and restricts legal production to medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes. Therefore, the existence of licenses does not mean unrestricted authorization for cultivation or consumption.

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Medical cannabis in Morocco: how does the legal market work?

Historically associated with traditional cannabis cultivation in the northern Rif region, Morocco has been establishing a regulated supply chain for activities tied to the plant.

Authorized cultivation is concentrated in the provinces of Al Hoceima, Chefchaouen, and Taounate. Under this model, activities depend on specific authorizations and compliance with requirements set by authorities.

The goal is to organize production, processing, and commercialization within a formal framework, ensuring greater traceability and control over operations.

This process, however, requires industry participants to comply with administrative rules. The revocation of permits shows that entering the legal market does not eliminate the challenges: maintaining authorization also depends on fulfilling regulatory requirements.

Cannabis production grows amid tighter oversight

Despite the revocations, regulated production continues to advance. According to Cáñamo, by mid-October 2026, approximately 1,100 hectares of cannabis of the local Beldia variety had already been harvested, equivalent to about 60% of the area designated for this variety across the three authorized provinces.

In Taounate, the harvest had reached 92% of the planned area. Meanwhile, imported varieties began being harvested in October, with work scheduled to continue through December.

The progress follows a significant expansion of legal production. In 2024, Morocco recorded 4,082.4 tons, a volume 14 times higher than that observed in the previous period, according to data cited by the Spanish publication.

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What does the revocation mean for the future of cannabis?

The Moroccan case highlights one of the central issues for regulated markets: expanding production while simultaneously ensuring that activities occur within established rules.

Oversight can serve as a tool for quality control, traceability, and compliance, but its concrete effects depend on the enforcement of regulations and the conditions provided to participants in the supply chain.

To date, the released information does not detail the individual reasons for each revocation, nor does it allow for assessing the economic impacts of the decision on growers and companies.

The episode shows that expanding the legal market does not rely solely on new licenses or harvest growth. It also demands regulatory transparency, compliance with rules, and mechanisms capable of sustaining a formalized supply chain.