Morocco: First Cannabis-Based Medicine Exported Abroad

Morocco’s legal cannabis industry, still in its early stages following its 2021 legalization for therapeutic and industrial uses, has achieved a significant milestone. Growing private sector engagement is driving major developments across the entire value chain.

First International Sale in South Africa

Morocco’s medical cannabis industry has reached a new milestone: Beldiya Plus°, a medicine made from cannabis cultivated in Morocco and developed by the national laboratory CANNAFLEX, was prescribed by a doctor and delivered to a patient in South Africa on October 17, 2025.

In a statement released on Monday, October 20, CANNAFLEX described the transaction as a historic first for Morocco’s legal cannabis industry on the international market. The sale was made possible through a strategic partnership with South African pharmaceutical manufacturer DRA Pharmaceuticals, known for its expertise in pharmaceutical compliance and quality.

“Our state-of-the-art pharmaceutical laboratories and expertise are essential to ensure that Beldiya Plus° meets the highest international standards. This partnership with CANNAFLEX is revolutionizing access to medical cannabis by providing patients with safe, reliable, and scientifically proven therapies,” said Chris Hutton, CEO of DRA Pharmaceuticals.

This success demonstrates that Morocco’s medical cannabis sector is now capable of serving patients abroad in a fully legal and secure framework.

Similar Advances in the Domestic Market

This development also confirms the rising prominence of Morocco’s industry, which had already made progress on the domestic market. In December 2024, Moroccan pharmaceutical company Pharma 5 unveiled the country’s first generic cannabis-based medicine. The product, named “Cannabidiol Pharma 5”, was developed with an investment of 250 million Moroccan dirhams ($27.08 million) and is intended for the treatment of epilepsy.

Pharma 5 announced that it had received authorization to market the new medicine domestically starting in the first half of 2025.

The main goal for Moroccan operators is now to capture an increasing share of the global medical cannabis market in the coming years. According to Statista, the market is projected to reach $21.4 billion by the end of 2025 and is expected to continue growing at an average annual rate of 2.24%, reaching $23.9 billion by 2030.