The upper house of Parliament of Morocco approved a bill to legalize the cultivation and commercialization of cannabis for medicinal and industrial uses. With 41 votes in favor and 11 against, the upper house approved the bill, less than two weeks after the initiative was voted in the lower house.
However, the Moroccan Minister of the Interior, Abdeluafi Laftit, recalled that "the illegal use and consumption of cannabis is still prohibited in the country." During the session, Laftit stated that the project "seeks to open development opportunities" in cannabis cultivation areas in the African country, one of the largest cannabis producers worldwide.
In addition, the minister pointed to a "greater openness in the international community about this drug" and stressed that "the illicit cultivation of cannabis has had catastrophic effects on health and the environment."
A report by the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior revealed that more than 400,000 people make a living from cannabis production in the country.
Read the complete article at www.finance.yahoo.com.