Authorities Seize More Than 2 Tons of Cannabis in Morocco

Moroccan law enforcement officials have completed a major drug raid in the south of the country this week.

Morocco’s National Security Agency said on Tuesday that “the police have dismantled an international drug trafficking network.” Morocco World Newssaid the raid resulted in the arrest of “five suspects between the ages of 24 and 44 on suspicion of involvement in the network.”

The Directorate General for National Security (DGSN), which serves as Morocco’s national police force, twitter“Joint security operation between the interests of the Judicial Police and the State Territorial Surveillance General Administration … As a result, attempts to smuggle international goods of 2 tons and 120 kilograms of Shira were stopped and used for inflatable boats and sea navigation. device.”

according to Morocco World Newsthe country is “stepping up its efforts against drug trafficking”.

“Last year, the Moroccan police handled 82,950 cases related to drug possession and trafficking. Security services brought 103,589 people to court, including 261 foreigners,” the outlet reported. “In the same year, police seized 191 tonnes and 158 kilograms of cannabis, one of the most common drugs in Morocco. I have.”

The enhanced level of enforcement comes at a time of significant changes to Moroccan laws governing cannabis. Lawmakers in Morocco, long considered the world’s leading cannabis producer, said last year that they “passed a law permitting the therapeutic use of cannabis, which is considered the world’s leading hashish producer.” It’s a big change for this North African country that is growing.” Agence France-Presse reported at the time.

“The purpose of this bill is … ‘to reconvert illegal crops that destroy the environment into legal activities that are sustainable and create value and jobs’.” Agence France-Presse explained. ‗Representatives of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), leader of the government coalition, voted against the text presented by the executive branch, accusing local governments of ‘rashness and the danger of exploitation during election campaigns’. September and early October legislation.

In October, the country issued its first round of cannabis cultivation permits. The newly established National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities (ANRAC), which serves as the main regulator of Morocco’s cannabis industry, has issued 10 permits for both production and cultivation.

Morocco World News report At that point, following the initial license, “ANRAC will begin to allow farmers to legally grow and produce cannabis within the strictly regulated framework of agricultural cooperatives.”

“The procedure will take place at the state level in the provinces of Alhoceima, Chefchaouen and Taunate, according to the expressed needs of the industry,” the outlet reported. “ANRAC is examining market prospects to generate growth across the sector and help farmers transition from illegal to legal activities.”

The outlet provided more background on the policy change:

“In recent years, Morocco has shifted its approach towards creating a legal framework that allows for legal cannabis production, but has grappled with the illegal cultivation and commercialization of popular products.” , Interior Minister Abdelahfi Raftit attended the first meeting of ANRAC.The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the final stages of implementation of Law 13-21, which details the permitted use of cannabis. It also approved the agency’s first steps, including the establishment of the first cooperatives for the production of local medical cannabis.Morocco’s Regulation 13-21 will allow farmers to increase their incomes and improve working conditions. We want to ensure that we switch to legal cannabis cultivation in order to do so, but we are unlikely to take advantage of Morocco’s large-scale illegal cannabis production, which supplies 70% of Europe’s cannabis demand.”