فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Taounate – News Analysis
Years after the historic law regulating the cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes was enacted, the Taounate region—one of the traditional strongholds of this cultivation—still awaits to fully reap the benefits of this transformation. Despite high hopes pinned on the law to attract major investments, the reality shows that the influx of investors, especially foreign ones, remains “countable on the fingers” and proceeds at a slower pace than expected.
Local economic observers attribute this slowdown primarily to the absence of a clear and targeted marketing and promotional plan. While the state, through the National Agency for the Regulation of Activities Related to Cannabis (ANRAC), has made significant regulatory efforts and granted licenses to farmers organized in cooperatives, the marketing link and attraction of specialized foreign capital remain the weakest link in this chain.
A regional development expert explains: “Foreign investors in the pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries are not only looking for a license; they seek an integrated system: infrastructure, accurate data on the quality of local products (terroir), administrative facilitation, and a reliable local partner. The promotion of this ecosystem in Taounate has not yet reached the required level.”
This situation leaves farmers and local cooperatives in a state of anticipation. After committing to the legal framework, they now face the challenge of finding buyers for their crops at prices that guarantee better profits than the black market. The danger lies in the lack of investments capable of establishing processing and value-adding units within the province, which could lead to frustration among the farmers.
The hardest part—legalization and regulation—has been accomplished, but the ball is now in the court of elected councils, local stakeholders, and chambers of commerce and industry to devise a genuine “territorial promotion” strategy. Such a strategy should highlight Taounate’s advantages as a promising investment destination in the medical cannabis industry and transform the “green gold” from a mere cultivated plant into a true developmental engine for the entire region.
