Rabat – Morocco’s regulated model for the legal use of cannabis is gaining momentum, according to Mohamed El Guerrouj, Director General of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC).
Speaking at the opening of a scientific conference titled “Cannabidiol (CBD): Clinical Applications and Therapeutic Prospects in Morocco, he said the model is built on a framework that combines diversified therapeutic applications, strict regulation, and an adapted industrial base.
El Guerrouj emphasized that Morocco’s ambitious cannabis regulation project continues to move forward “with calm and responsibility,” striking a balance between public health priorities and emerging economic opportunities.
He noted that, to date, 109 CBD-based cannabis products have been manufactured by authorized pharmaceutical companies and operators. These products have been registered with the Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products and approved for distribution on the national market.
According to El Guerrouj, the products include 50 CBD-based dietary supplements and 50 cosmetic items, now available at more than 600 retail outlets across the Kingdom, reflecting the gradual and tightly supervised growth of the sector.
For his part, Khalid Sair, Director General of the Casablanca site of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Sciences and Health, said that CBD, long burdened by negative perceptions, is increasingly being recognized as a serious and fast-evolving field of scientific research at the international level.
He highlighted a fundamental shift in how cannabis-derived compounds are approached, noting that they are now studied through scientific, pharmacological, and therapeutic lenses. Research areas include chronic pain management, treatment-resistant epilepsy, neurological disorders, supportive oncology care, and palliative medicine.
However, Sair stressed that progress in this field must be grounded in solid scientific evidence, rigorous clinical protocols, a clear regulatory framework, and adequate training for healthcare professionals. He called on relevant institutions to fully assume their responsibilities in this regard.
Meanwhile, Muhammadin Boubekri, President of the National Council of the Order of Physicians, described the success of Morocco’s therapeutic cannabis sector as resting on a “unique institutional tripod.” This framework, he explained, brings together legal authority and sovereignty through ANRAC, academic excellence and research leadership through Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, and ethical oversight ensured by the Order of Physicians.
Boubekri underlined the Council’s role in supervising medical innovation to guarantee ethical standards, best practices, and protection for both prescribers and patients. He also highlighted the importance of scientific societies, stressing that scientific evidence must remain the guiding principle in developing therapeutic cannabis use.
Organized by Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health and the Mohammed VI Center for Research and Innovation, in partnership with ANRAC, the National Council of the Order of Physicians, and the Moroccan Society of Medical Sciences, the conference aims to raise awareness and enhance training among healthcare professionals, researchers, and pharmaceutical industry stakeholders on the medical, scientific, and regulatory dimensions of therapeutic CBD use.
The initiative comes amid a major shift in Morocco’s regulatory landscape, positioning the country among those that have adopted the medical use of cannabis within a strict legal framework. Under current regulations, Morocco’s pharmaceutical industry is now authorized to produce cannabis-based medicines containing CBD and THC for clearly defined therapeutic purposes and exclusively under medical prescription.
CBD, a non-psychoactive compound, may also be used in products such as dietary supplements, provided that strict regulatory standards are met, including limits on concentration and the absence or near-absence of THC, in accordance with legislation set by ANRAC.
MWN with MAP
