Morocco's 2021 cannabis legalization prioritizes market standardization while neglecting the environmental consequences of shifting from traditional to industrial cultivation.
Drug policy researchers, environmental sustainability advocates, international legalization analysts
20+ years of fieldwork informing this analysis
What the researchers found
Analysis of Morocco's cannabis legalization framework found that regulatory priorities like standardization, traceability, and market control overlook environmental concerns. The shift from traditional beldia cultivation to water- and chemical-intensive hybrid greenhouse farming risks entrenching environmentally damaging practices despite opportunities legalization presents for sustainability.
Why it matters
As cannabis legalization expands globally, Morocco's experience shows that market-focused regulation can inadvertently accelerate environmental damage if sustainability is not built into the framework from the start.
The numbers in context
Morocco legalized medical and industrial cannabis in 2021; study draws on 20+ years of Rif region fieldwork; compares traditional beldia varieties against modern hybrid and greenhouse operations
How the study worked
Combined insights from over two decades of fieldwork in Morocco's Rif region with policy analysis. Compared legal and illicit cultivation systems, assessed resource use and biodiversity impacts, and situated Morocco's cannabis sector within national and international environmental commitments.
What this study cannot tell us
Qualitative and policy-focused approach without quantitative environmental measurements. Fieldwork concentrated in the Rif region may not represent all Moroccan cannabis cultivation. Environmental impacts of legal cultivation are still emerging.
How to read the evidence
Extensive qualitative fieldwork provides rich contextual insight, but lacks quantitative environmental measurements and relies on observational rather than experimental methods.
When this study was published
2025 publication drawing on fieldwork conducted over two decades
The bigger picture
Cannabis regulation debates worldwide focus heavily on market access, social equity, and public health, but this study highlights a blind spot: the environmental footprint of legal cannabis cultivation, which varies dramatically depending on whether regulations incentivize traditional or industrial farming methods.
Questions still open
- Can cannabis regulations incorporate environmental sustainability standards without disadvantaging traditional small farmers? How do the water and chemical footprints of greenhouse cannabis compare to outdoor traditional cultivation?
Common questions
What did Morocco legalize in 2021?
What environmental risks does legalization create?
Read the original research
Ecological dimensions of cannabis regulation in the Rif, Morocco.
The International journal on drug policy, 146, 105045
Citation
Afsahi, Kenza; Tinasti, Khalid; Mouna, Khalid. (2025). Ecological dimensions of cannabis regulation in the Rif, Morocco.. The International journal on drug policy, 146, 105045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.105045