Importing cannabis resin from Morocco: ANRAC export and what buyers need

Morocco has grown cannabis in the Rif for generations, but a legal export trade is recent. It rests on a national law, a dedicated regulator and the international system that governs cross-border trade in controlled substances. For an importer, the practical questions are simple: who is allowed to sell to me, what paperwork must exist on each side, and what happens between contract and customs?

This guide covers the Moroccan framework, the international authorisation system, what buyers typically need in their own country, and how a shipment moves in practice. It is general information, not legal advice: import rules are set country by country, and your own regulator has the final word.

The legal framework in Morocco

Licit cannabis activities in Morocco are governed by Law No. 13-21 on the licit uses of cannabis, promulgated by Dahir No. 1-21-59 of 14 July 2021. It is implemented by Decree No. 2-22-159 of 18 March 2022 and by Joint Order No. 1293-22 of 12 May 2022, which sets out how authorisations are issued.

The law created a national regulator, ANRAC (Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Activités Relatives au Cannabis), which operates under the Ministry of the Interior. ANRAC authorises each activity in the chain separately: cultivation, transformation and manufacturing, transport, and export are distinct authorisations.

For a buyer, that structure matters. A Moroccan supplier should be able to show an ANRAC authorisation for every activity it performs for you, above all for export.

Our ANRAC authorisations

As an ANRAC-licensed exporter, Moroccan International CBD Laboratory Company (trading as Moroccan Therapeutics) holds:

Redacted copies of both authorisations are available to approved buyers in our portal. The cultivation behind our resin is covered by LSQA's WHO-GACP Declaration of Conformity PP90/01. See Quality & Compliance for the details.

The international system: import and export authorisations

Cannabis and cannabis resin are controlled under the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. The Convention sets up a system that most countries apply to legal cross-border trade in controlled substances. In broad terms:

1. The importer's country issues an import authorisation (often called an import certificate or permit) for a specific consignment: a named importer, a named exporter, a product and a quantity.
2. The exporter's country issues an export authorisation for that consignment, which relies on the importing country's authorisation.
3. The goods travel with the authorisations, and the authorities on both sides can reconcile what was authorised with what was shipped.

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) oversees the system internationally, including the estimates countries submit for their legitimate needs. The practical consequence for buyers is that every shipment starts with your side's authorisation: without an import authorisation from your competent authority, a legal export cannot go ahead.

What you typically need on your side

Requirements vary widely by country and by intended use: pharmaceutical manufacturing, research, industrial processing, or a regulated consumer market where one exists. Before contracting, most importers need to confirm:

• A licence that covers the activity. Importing, holding and processing or distributing cannabis resin, for the use you intend.
• An import authorisation per shipment. Issued by your national competent authority, naming the exporter and the quantity.
• Product requirements for your market. Specifications, test panels and limits, for example pesticide residues, mycotoxins, microbiology and cannabinoid content, and any quality standard your market applies to the starting material.
• Customs and tax treatment. Tariff classification, duties and whether a preference applies. Your customs broker is the right person to confirm this.
• Storage and handling conditions. Premises authorised to receive and hold the goods.

Your regulator can tell you exactly what applies. We share the documents we can provide at each step, so you can include them in your own applications.

How a shipment works with us, step by step

1. Trade access. You apply as a licensed buyer with your licence. Once approved, you see pricing, specifications and certificates in the buyer portal.
2. Specification and COA. We agree the product, format and specification, and you review the certificate of analysis. Our guide How to read a cannabis resin COA explains what to check. You can also request a COA for any product from its page.
3. Contract. Quantity, format (1 kg, 100 g, 10 g or custom), delivery terms and documentation are agreed in writing.
4. Your import authorisation. You obtain the import authorisation for the consignment from your competent authority.
5. Export paperwork in Morocco. We handle the Moroccan side under our ANRAC export authorisation, including the regulatory paperwork for the consignment.
6. Packing and dispatch. The batch is packed in controlled packaging and shipped. Air freight delivery typically takes up to one week.
7. Delivery to your customs clearance point. We manage logistics up to the buyer's customs clearance point, and you clear the goods under your import authorisation.

Documents that travel with a shipment

Every consignment is backed by a batch code that links its cultivation origin, processing record and certificate of analysis. Depending on the destination, the documents include:

• The certificate of analysis for the batch
• Export documentation issued under our ANRAC authorisation
• EUR.1 movement certificates, documenting the goods' preferential origin
• Copies of our ANRAC authorisations and WHO-GACP declaration, available in the portal

Your import authorisation and any documents your own authority requires complete the set on your side.

Common pitfalls, and how to avoid them

Most delays in a first cross-border resin shipment come from a small number of predictable issues:

• Licence scope doesn't match the product. An authorisation for one form or use may not cover another. Check that your licence names the product type you are importing, such as resin or extract, and the use.
• Quantities that don't match. The import authorisation, the export documents and the shipment must agree. Fix the quantity in the contract before you apply for the import authorisation.
• Specifications agreed too late. If your market requires tests that are not on the standard COA, agree the test panel and limits before the batch is reserved, not after it ships.
• Validity dates. Import authorisations are usually valid for a limited period. Align production, export paperwork and flight booking with that window.
• Receiving arrangements. The goods need authorised premises and a customs broker ready on arrival.

A short call before the first order, going through these points against your own authority's requirements, usually saves weeks.

Where we have shipped

We have exported THC and CBD resin to Switzerland and THC and CBD extracts to Brazil, and we have established export operations to Lesotho. Each market had its own import requirements; the Moroccan side of the process stays the same.

Choosing what to import

If you are deciding which product to import first, our overview of Moroccan resin types compares dry sift, static, powder, frozen and fresh frozen resin. Each product page, from Dry Resin and Static Resin to the traditional Premium Pressed Hash, sets out the process, specification and formats.

Key points

• Morocco's legal cannabis sector runs under Law 13-21 and is regulated by ANRAC.
• Check that your supplier holds an ANRAC export authorisation.
• Cross-border trade follows the 1961 Convention system: your import authorisation comes first.
• Confirm your licence scope, product requirements and customs treatment with your regulator and broker.
• We handle the Moroccan side, from paperwork to controlled packaging and delivery to your customs clearance point, typically by air within a week.

To start, apply for trade access or contact our export desk.

Who regulates cannabis exports from Morocco?

ANRAC, the Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Activités Relatives au Cannabis, created under Law No. 13-21 on the licit uses of cannabis. Companies need an ANRAC authorisation for each activity they carry out, including export.

What do I need as an importer?

At minimum, a licence or authorisation from your own country that covers importing cannabis resin for your intended use, and in most markets an import authorisation or permit for each shipment, issued by your national competent authority. Requirements differ by country, so confirm them with your regulator before contracting.

Do you provide EUR.1 certificates?

Yes. Shipments travel with EUR.1 movement certificates, which document the goods' preferential origin. Your customs broker confirms whether a tariff preference applies to the product in your market.

How long does delivery take?

Air freight delivery typically takes up to one week once the paperwork for a shipment is in place. We manage logistics up to the buyer's customs clearance point.