Marijuana in Morocco: what is allowed and what is at risk (2026)
Morocco has legalized cannabis, but only for licensed activities. Recreational possession remains punishable. We examine the law 13-21 from 2021.
Morocco has legalized cannabis and it is true, but not for the user, and this difference is the most important here. The new law paves the way exclusively for licensed activities, and outside of this system, old prohibitions still apply.
The reform is very specific on the cultivation side and very silent on the patient side. Below is what follows from the text of the law and the regulation establishing the threshold for active substance content.
| Legalization from 2021 | only licensed activities |
|---|---|
| Recreational possession | still punishable, based on the dahir from 1974 |
| Content threshold | one percent THC |
| Above the threshold | only the medical and pharmaceutical industry |
| Cultivation | with permission, in districts indicated by decree |
| Penalties for possession | not established, they remain in the act from 1974 |
| Regulator | national agency for cannabis regulation |
Legal status checked on September 5, 2026, in the text of the law and regulation. We did not read the text of the act from 1974, which contains penalties for possession. This is a description of the regulations, not legal advice.
Is possession of marijuana in Morocco punishable?
Morocco has legalized cannabis, but not for the user, and this is the statement from which we must start here. The law from 2021 opens the way exclusively for licensed activities and does not touch on recreational use at all, which remains where it was before the reform.
This is already evident in its first sentence. The law begins with the reservation that it applies regardless of three old acts: the regulation on poisonous substances from 1922, the dahir prohibiting cannabis from 1954, and the act from 1974 on combating drug addiction.
The structure is such that the new law does not repeal old prohibitions, but rather cuts out the area covered by permits. It allows for cultivation, production, processing, manufacturing, marketing, transport, export, and import.
Outside of this system, old prohibitions still apply and nothing has changed them. Recreational possession and use remain punishable under the act from 1974, the text of which we did not read.
This distinction is lost in most headlines about Moroccan legalization. How a similar path looks in other countries is shown by our map of marijuana legality.
How much marijuana is allowed in Morocco?
The Moroccan threshold is one percent of active substance content, and it was established by a separate regulation of four ministers issued in May 2022. However, this is not a threshold for possession or a legality limit for the user, but a line dividing two regimes of permits within the licensing system created by the law.
This same threshold applies in two places in the law, with the permit for cultivation and production of strains and with a separate provision on the admission of strains. The legislator used one number to separate the entire system.
The effect is as follows. Strains with a content above one percent can only be admitted for the medical and pharmaceutical industry, while strains below this value can also be for industries other than medical.
Permits for cultivation are issued only within the limits of the quantities needed to meet the needs for the production of medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial products. There is no cultivation for stock or for a market that no one has reported.
Additionally, there is a territorial limitation. Permits apply only in the districts of the province indicated by decree, which also closes the system from a geographical perspective.
It is worth noting that this entire threshold concerns strains, not individuals. It determines what can be cultivated and for which market, not how much one can have on them.
What is the penalty for exceeding the threshold in Morocco?
The law from 2021 punishes violations of the permit system, not use, and these two things must be separated here. For cultivation, production, processing, manufacturing, transport, marketing, export, and import without a valid agency permit, the penalties from the act from 1974 apply.
Separate ranges are provided by the law for violations of its own rules. From three months to two years of imprisonment and a fine from 5000 to 100 000 dirhams threaten for cultivation outside designated districts or exceeding the area covered by the permit.
The same range includes providing false data, failing to report the entire harvest of the cooperative, failing to report damage in cultivation on time, and destroying crops contrary to the law. In addition to the penalty, there is the confiscation of plants and money obtained from them.
Lower down are two acts related to control. From six months to a year and from 10 000 to 20 000 dirhams threaten for obstructing agency inspectors in performing their duties, and from 20 000 to 100 000 dirhams for lack of secured and supervised warehouses.
We did not establish the amounts of penalties for mere possession and do not add them from secondary sources. They remain in the act from 1974, the text of which we could not read, and this is exactly the kind of information where a mistake costs the reader the most.
Does Morocco have a medical marijuana program?
Morocco has built a program from the supply side, not from the prescription side, and this distinguishes it from most solutions described in this overview. The law creates a national agency for the regulation of cannabis-related activities and makes it the only gateway to the entire system of permits.
Without a permit from this agency, no one can cultivate or produce cannabis, establish and run nurseries, export and import seeds and seedlings, process and manufacture, transport, market, or import cannabis products.
Permits cover three purposes: medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial. The law defines the industrial purpose as related to industry, especially food and cosmetics, other than medical and pharmaceutical.
The boundary between these purposes runs through the content of the active substance. Strains with a content above one percent can only be admitted for the medical and pharmaceutical industry, which closes the system from the raw material side.
The patient pathways have not been established, and we say this directly. The law describes who can produce a cannabis medicine, but does not say how a Moroccan is to obtain it or for what indication.
Is it allowed to cultivate cannabis for personal use in Morocco?
This is the essence of the Moroccan reform and at the same time its most concrete part. Cultivation is legal only with permission from the agency, only in the districts of the province indicated by decree, and only within the limits of the quantities needed for the medical and pharmaceutical industry, and outside of these frameworks, it remains completely prohibited.
The applicant must meet several personal conditions at once, not just one. They must have Moroccan citizenship, be of legal age, and reside in one of the douars of the province covered.
Additionally, there are two conditions regarding land and organization. One must belong to a cooperative established specifically for this purpose and be the owner of the cultivated land, which excludes cultivation on lease.
The system also includes seed material. Seeds and seedlings are subject to certification, and the batch label must carry the certification decision number of the strain and its active substance content.
Together, this creates a closed structure from every side. Home cultivation for personal use does not fit into it at any point, as it does not meet either the cooperative condition or the purpose condition of the harvest.
There is also no exception for cultivation for the household’s own needs. The entire harvest must go to the cooperative, and its retention is a separate prohibited act.
Frequently asked questions
Is marijuana legal in Morocco?
The law from 2021 legalized only licensed activities: cultivation, production, and trade with the agency’s permission. Recreational possession and use remain punishable under an older act.
What is the THC content threshold in Morocco?
One percent, established by a regulation of four ministers from May 2022. Strains above this value can only be admitted for the medical and pharmaceutical industry, below also for others.
What is the penalty in Morocco for possessing marijuana?
We did not establish the amounts of penalties, as they remain in the act from 1974, the text of which we could not read. The new law punishes violations of the permit system, not mere use.
Who can legally cultivate cannabis in Morocco?
A person who has Moroccan citizenship, is of legal age, resides in one of the douars of the covered province, belongs to a cooperative established for this purpose, and is the owner of the land.
Where is it allowed to cultivate cannabis in Morocco?
Only in the districts of the province indicated by decree and only within the limits of the quantities needed to meet the needs for the production of medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial products.
Does Morocco have a medical marijuana program for patients?
The law describes only the supply side: who can cultivate, produce, and market. The patient pathways, i.e., the way to obtain the medicine, are not established by this material.
Sources
| Act or document | Address | Checked | Degree of proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loi n° 13-21 relative aux usages licites du cannabis, published by dahir n° 1-21-59 on July 14, 2021, “Bulletin officiel” no. 7010 from August 5, 2021, from the website of the General Secretariat of the Government of Morocco, art. 1 | sgg.gov.ma | 2026-09-05 | text of the legal act |
| Loi n° 13-21 relative aux usages licites du cannabis, published by dahir n° 1-21-59 on July 14, 2021, “Bulletin officiel” no. 7010 from August 5, 2021, from the website of the General Secretariat of the Government of Morocco, art. 4, 5, 6, and 17; Arrêté conjoint n° 1297-22 from May 12, 2022, of four ministers, establishing THC rates from art. 6 and 17 of law 13-21, “Bulletin officiel” no. 7122 from September 1, 2022. | sgg.gov.ma | 2026-09-05 | text of the legal act |
| Loi n° 13-21 relative aux usages licites du cannabis, published by dahir n° 1-21-59 on July 14, 2021, “Bulletin officiel” no. 7010 from August 5, 2021, from the website of the General Secretariat of the Government of Morocco, art. 50, 51, 52, and 53 | sgg.gov.ma | 2026-09-05 | text of the legal act |
| Loi n° 13-21 relative aux usages licites du cannabis, published by dahir n° 1-21-59 on July 14, 2021, “Bulletin officiel” no. 7010 from August 5, 2021, from the website of the General Secretariat of the Government of Morocco, art. 2, 3, 5, and 6 and chapter VII on the agency | sgg.gov.ma | 2026-09-05 | text of the legal act |
| Loi n° 13-21 relative aux usages licites du cannabis, published by dahir n° 1-21-59 on July 14, 2021, “Bulletin officiel” no. 7010 from August 5, 2021, from the website of the General Secretariat of the Government of Morocco, art. 3, 4, 5, and 7; regulations on the certification of seeds and seedlings from “Bulletin officiel” no. 7122 | sgg.gov.ma | 2026-09-05 | text of the legal act |
This article is for informational and educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. The legal status described in the article is valid as of the date of publication: cannabis regulations may change. Before making a decision, consult a lawyer or current legal acts.
Author: Michał Waluk
