(Agency Ecofin) – Since the legalization of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes in 2021, Morocco has implemented progressive regulation. While the local variety Beldia is starting to make its way on the international market, the regulator wishes to assess its full potential for industry.
Morocco takes a new step in the structuring of its legal cannabis industry. On June 17, 2025, Mohammed VI Polytechnique University (UM6P) and the National Cannabis Activity Agency (ANRAC) signed a framework agreement to strengthen scientific research around cannabis for therapeutic use, with a particular accent on the local variety “Beldia”.
According to managers, this partnership aims to characterize the active compounds of Moroccan cannabis, to explore their medical potential and to guarantee their compliance with regulatory standards. It also includes the implementation of a training program for health professionals and a strategic component with the African Genome Center to sequence the Beldia genome, for its protection and its valuation.
According to the Novogene biotechnology company, genetic sequencing makes it possible to identify specific genes and genetic variations responsible for important agronomic traits such as disease resistance, yield or tolerance to drought. This technology is in fact a key base for assisted varietal selection aimed at producing more efficient or more productive seeds.
Indeed, the Beldia, a traditional variety cultivated for generations in the Rif, already has notable agronomic assets. Unlike imported seeds, it can be cultivated with a minimum irrigation effort, making it a sustainable option for small producers, according to the year.
Opportunities to be seized on the international market
More broadly, the new scientific research partnership on cannabis initiated by the regulator is to be included in a context where the Beldia variety is starting to export legally. THE April 10the Moroccan company Cannaflex has announced that it has sent the first Moroccan medical cannabis cargo from this variety to pharmaceutical laboratories in Europe and on the African continent.
The challenge for the regulator is to increase the local offer of legal cannabis and to support exports on an international market is growing. According to the projections formulated on the Statita platform, the global market of medical cannabis should reach $ 21 billion in 2025 and display an average growth of 1.65 % per year until 2029.
Recall that after a first modest campaign in 2023 (294 tonnes), the production of legal cannabis in Morocco jumped at 4,082 tonnes in 2024. A dynamic which is called to strengthen in 2025, with a desire displayed to consolidate gains, improve traceability and strengthen the quality of products intended for export.
Stéphanas combines
Edited by Wilfried Assogba
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