By Abdullahi Lukman
Morocco has launched a scientific study to assess the potential use of cannabis-derived molecules in animal feed, as part of efforts to broaden the plant’s legal applications in agriculture and veterinary medicine.
The initiative was announced by the Moroccan Agency for the Regulation of Activities Related to Cannabis (ANRAC) following the signing of a framework agreement with the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine in Rabat.
The study will focus on poultry farming and explore whether cannabis-based compounds can serve as an alternative to growth-promoting antibiotics.
According to ANRAC, the 10-month research programme aims to develop clear scientific protocols for integrating a cannabis-derived molecule into animal feed at an industrial scale.
The Veterinary Medicine Department of the institute will lead the research, examining the compound’s impact on gut health, immune response and productivity in poultry.
Researchers also seek to generate scientific evidence to support the use of the cannabis molecule as a safe and effective substitute for antibiotics, with the goal of improving both output
and the quality of poultry products.
The study forms part of Morocco’s broader cannabis law reforms introduced in 2021, which legalised the plant for medical, cosmetic and industrial uses while maintaining a ban on recreational consumption.
The reforms are intended to replace informal production with a regulated industry.
Since the reforms began, ANRAC has significantly expanded licensing, issuing about 3,000 permits for legal cannabis cultivation and production in 2024, compared with only a few hundred the previous year.
Licences have been granted to farmers, cooperatives and companies involved in cultivation, processing and marketing.
Authorities say the regulated cannabis sector could support rural development, create jobs and reduce illegal production, although critics warn that regulation may not fully eliminate illicit cultivation and trafficking.
Source: MoroccoNews
