On the occasion of the commemoration of the 71st anniversary of the King and People’s Revolution of August 20, 1953, King Mohammed VI granted pardons to 4,831 people convicted, prosecuted or wanted in cases linked to cannabis cultivation, and who fulfilled the conditions required to benefit from a pardon.
According to Mohamed El Guerrouj, Director General of the Agence nationale de réglementation des activités relatives au cannabis (ANRAC), the High Royal Solicitude is not just a humanitarian initiative.
It represents a historic turning point in the regulation of cannabis in Morocco.
This initiative is unanimously seen as a strong testimony to the Sovereign’s commitment to social justice and socio-economic integration.
It also reflects His Majesty the King’s desire to enable these small farmers to be reunited with their families, to reintegrate fully into their community and rebuild their future, after having been associated with practices once considered illicit.
For ANRAC’s Director General, “This is an exceptional gesture that will mark a historic turning point in the process of regulating the cannabis industry”.
He added that the royal pardon will bring peace of mind not only to the farmers concerned, but also to their families.
In this way, this royal clemency has a profoundly human dimension”.
“The atmosphere of serenity created by this royal initiative will undoubtedly strengthen the cannabis regulatory process, facilitating greater farmer buy-in to this national project”, he adds.
According to him, the support of the pardoned farmers will be an asset for the development of the legal sector, with their long experience and expertise actively contributing to the evolution of a sustainable cannabis industry in Morocco.
“This grace also marks a major inflexion point which should lead to the eradication of illicit crops, while replacing them with legal agricultural and non-agricultural alternatives”.
This major change will open up new prospects for the populations of the regions concerned, as well as for investors, both Moroccan and foreign.
It will create a socio-economic dynamic aimed at guaranteeing a dignified existence for farmers and their families, within a transparent, legal and structured framework.
