Hamid Hssisen hails from a long line of Moroccan cannabis growers.
But this October’s harvest is different — it’s the first time his crop has been legal. Hssisen, 32, is from Bab Berred, a small town in the Rif Mountains, which run along the Mediterranean coast. It’s one of the poorest regions of Morocco.
With few economic alternatives, its farmers have grown illicit cannabis for generations.
Morocco is famous for its kif, a finely chopped cannabis that is mixed with tobacco and smoked in a long pipe or rolled into a joint. Smoked recreationally, kif is still illegal. But Morocco has legalised cannabis for medicinal, industrial and cosmetic use and established a regulatory agency to oversee its production.
Last April, the country even unveiled a logo for approved cannabis products: a green marijuana leaf framed by a red emblem suggestive of the country’s flag.
The kingdom wants to undercut drug traffickers and formalise the cannabis industry, which produced about 900 tonnes of resin in 2022.
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