The legal cultivation of cannabis is gaining momentum in Morocco’s Chefchaouen province, with a significant expansion in both farmland and farmer participation over the past year. According to the local office of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC), the area officially dedicated to cannabis cultivation jumped from 616 hectares in 2024 to 1,347 hectares in 2025—more than doubling in size.
This rapid growth reflects a broader shift among rural farming communities, many of whom are now organizing into formal cooperatives. As of this year, 1,435 farmers are involved across 104 cooperatives, compared to just 606 farmers in 54 cooperatives one year ago. Chefchaouen now accounts for nearly 30 percent of all legal cannabis cultivation in Morocco, out of a national total of 4,751 hectares.
A large majority of this land—1,222 hectares—is dedicated to cultivating “Beldia,” a traditional Moroccan cannabis strain long associated with the region’s agricultural identity. This local variety is being grown by 1,220 farmers grouped into 68 cooperatives. The remaining 125 hectares are used for imported strains, cultivated by 215 farmers in 36 cooperatives.
This shift into the legal market is transforming isolated rural zones into active players in a regulated economic sector. Processing facilities are beginning to emerge, such as the one launched by the “Bio Cannat” cooperative in Bab Berred. Founded in 2022 and licensed by ANRAC the same year, Bio Cannat produces cosmetics and dietary supplements from cannabis and sells them across Morocco. The cooperative also operates a licensed retail outlet in Tangier, which handles part of its product exports.
The sector’s expansion is being supported by an increasingly organized infrastructure. One example is “Mazarii Amdghous,” a cooperative founded in 2023 in the village of Douar Khzana, part of the Bab Taza commune. Its president, Abdesslam Amraji, notes steady growth in both production and membership. The group’s success has already led to the creation of a new cooperative focused exclusively on the Beldia variety.
Several other cooperatives in the region have also begun constructing processing facilities, many of which are expected to begin operations in the coming months. These developments point to a growing presence of legal cannabis within Morocco’s rural economy and a clear shift toward a more structured and sustainable model.
