Latest news with #Talbi
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Legal weed brings peace of mind to Moroccan farmers, but black market pays more, faster
More farmers cultivating cannabis legally this year Illegal market still dominant due to profits, lack of red tape Recreational cannabis farming remains banned BAB BERRED (Morocco), July 30 — Beneath the blazing summer sun, Abderrahman Talbi surveyed the neat rows of flourishing cannabis blooms in compact fields, reflecting on how his life has changed since he joined Morocco's burgeoning legal cannabis industry two years ago. Like many farmers in the northern Rif mountains who have long grown the crop illegally, Talbi is relieved that raids and seizures by the authorities are no longer a worry. 'I can now say I am a cannabis farmer without fear,' Talbi told Reuters. 'Peace of mind has no price.' Talbi's pivot to legal farming is an example of what Morocco, one of the world's biggest cannabis producers, hoped to achieve when it legalised cultivation for medical and industrial use, but not for recreational purposes, in 2022. Regulating cannabis farming brought with it hopes for fresh revenue and economic revitalisation in the impoverished Rif region. The step made Morocco a forerunner among major producing countries and the first in the Middle East and North Africa to join a global trend that has seen countries like Canada, Germany and Uruguay legalise production and use. It also hoped to lure farmers away from the illegal economy in the restive Rif mountains, where cannabis production has long been tolerated to facilitate social peace. Al Hoceima, a major city in Rif, saw the largest protests in Morocco in 2016-17 over economic and social conditions. A Moroccan farmer checks on a bundle of dried cannabis in Ketama, in the northern Rif mountains. — Reuters pic Black market's lure persists Legalisation efforts have gained traction, with about 5,000 farmers joining the industry this year, from just 430 in 2023, says Morocco's cannabis regulator, or ANRAC. And legal production surged to nearly 4,200 tonnes last year, a 14-fold increase over the first harvest in 2023. Still, the black market remains dominant and lucrative due to demand for recreational use from Europe and regionally in Africa, potentially undermining efforts to fully regulate the sector. Morocco has 5,800 hectares (14,300 acres) of legally planted land, according to ANRAC. That's dwarfed by illegal cultivation spanning over 27,100 hectares, Interior Ministry data shows. While many farmers still choose illicit cultivation, they face the risk of increased crackdowns by authorities, which led to the seizure of 249 tonnes of cannabis resin by September last year, up 48 per cent from all of 2023, according to the Interior Ministry. Mohammed Azzouzi, 52, spent three years in hiding for cannabis-related charges before receiving a royal pardon along with over 4,800 others last year. Now, he is preparing for his first legal harvest and hopes to earn more than the 10,000 dirhams (US$1,100) he used to make in the illegal economy each year. Red tape The country's prohibition on growing cannabis for leisure use, along with bureaucratic red tape, limit legal farming, with every stage of the supply chain requiring a specific license from ANRAC, discouraging many a farmer from making the switch. A grower who wants to cultivate legally needs to join a licensed cooperative, which buys the farmer's product and processes it into derivatives or sells the resin to other licensed manufacturers. Talbi's cooperative, Biocannat, near the town of Bab Berred, 300 km (186 miles) north of Rabat, bought about 200 tonnes of cannabis last year from some 200 farmers, processing it into resin, supplements, capsules, oils and powders for medical and cosmetic purposes. About 60 km east of Biocannat, in the main producing area of Issaguen, farmer Mohamed El Mourabit was initially hopeful about the legalisation plan in 2021, but is less so now. 'The process is too complicated,' he said. And money talks, as well, for many farmers, who are lured by the higher rewards of the black market, despite its risks. While cooperatives take months to pay farmers about 50 dirhams per kilogram for the raw plant, on the illicit market, processed cannabis resin can fetch up to 2,500 dirhams per kilogram, farmers and activists say. To close that gap, legalisation advocates say growing for recreational use should be allowed, too. But it's not clear whether that will happen soon. Mohamed Guerrouj, head of ANRAC, said legalising recreational use would only be considered within a medical framework. 'The goal is to develop Morocco's pharmaceutical industry ... not coffee shops,' he said. — Reuters
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
[9pm] Legal weed brings peace of mind to Moroccan farmers, but black market pays more, faster
More farmers cultivating cannabis legally this year Illegal market still dominant due to profits, lack of red tape Recreational cannabis farming remains banned BAB BERRED (Morocco), July 30 — Beneath the blazing summer sun, Abderrahman Talbi surveyed the neat rows of flourishing cannabis blooms in compact fields, reflecting on how his life has changed since he joined Morocco's burgeoning legal cannabis industry two years ago. Like many farmers in the northern Rif mountains who have long grown the crop illegally, Talbi is relieved that raids and seizures by the authorities are no longer a worry. 'I can now say I am a cannabis farmer without fear,' Talbi told Reuters. 'Peace of mind has no price.' Talbi's pivot to legal farming is an example of what Morocco, one of the world's biggest cannabis producers, hoped to achieve when it legalised cultivation for medical and industrial use, but not for recreational purposes, in 2022. Regulating cannabis farming brought with it hopes for fresh revenue and economic revitalisation in the impoverished Rif region. The step made Morocco a forerunner among major producing countries and the first in the Middle East and North Africa to join a global trend that has seen countries like Canada, Germany and Uruguay legalise production and use. It also hoped to lure farmers away from the illegal economy in the restive Rif mountains, where cannabis production has long been tolerated to facilitate social peace. Al Hoceima, a major city in Rif, saw the largest protests in Morocco in 2016-17 over economic and social conditions. A Moroccan farmer checks on a bundle of dried cannabis in Ketama, in the northern Rif mountains. — Reuters pic Black market's lure persists Legalisation efforts have gained traction, with about 5,000 farmers joining the industry this year, from just 430 in 2023, says Morocco's cannabis regulator, or ANRAC. And legal production surged to nearly 4,200 tonnes last year, a 14-fold increase over the first harvest in 2023. Still, the black market remains dominant and lucrative due to demand for recreational use from Europe and regionally in Africa, potentially undermining efforts to fully regulate the sector. Morocco has 5,800 hectares (14,300 acres) of legally planted land, according to ANRAC. That's dwarfed by illegal cultivation spanning over 27,100 hectares, Interior Ministry data shows. While many farmers still choose illicit cultivation, they face the risk of increased crackdowns by authorities, which led to the seizure of 249 tonnes of cannabis resin by September last year, up 48 per cent from all of 2023, according to the Interior Ministry. Mohammed Azzouzi, 52, spent three years in hiding for cannabis-related charges before receiving a royal pardon along with over 4,800 others last year. Now, he is preparing for his first legal harvest and hopes to earn more than the 10,000 dirhams (US$1,100) he used to make in the illegal economy each year. Red tape The country's prohibition on growing cannabis for leisure use, along with bureaucratic red tape, limit legal farming, with every stage of the supply chain requiring a specific license from ANRAC, discouraging many a farmer from making the switch. A grower who wants to cultivate legally needs to join a licensed cooperative, which buys the farmer's product and processes it into derivatives or sells the resin to other licensed manufacturers. Talbi's cooperative, Biocannat, near the town of Bab Berred, 300 km (186 miles) north of Rabat, bought about 200 tonnes of cannabis last year from some 200 farmers, processing it into resin, supplements, capsules, oils and powders for medical and cosmetic purposes. About 60 km east of Biocannat, in the main producing area of Issaguen, farmer Mohamed El Mourabit was initially hopeful about the legalisation plan in 2021, but is less so now. 'The process is too complicated,' he said. And money talks, as well, for many farmers, who are lured by the higher rewards of the black market, despite its risks. While cooperatives take months to pay farmers about 50 dirhams per kilogram for the raw plant, on the illicit market, processed cannabis resin can fetch up to 2,500 dirhams per kilogram, farmers and activists say. To close that gap, legalisation advocates say growing for recreational use should be allowed, too. But it's not clear whether that will happen soon. Mohamed Guerrouj, head of ANRAC, said legalising recreational use would only be considered within a medical framework. 'The goal is to develop Morocco's pharmaceutical industry ... not coffee shops,' he said. — Reuters
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Legal cannabis blooms in Morocco but black market still beckons
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: A farmer tends to dried cannabis bundle in Ketama, in the northern Rif mountains, Morocco March 12, 2021. Picture taken March 12, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo BAB BERRED, Morocco - Beneath the blazing summer sun, Abderrahman Talbi surveyed the neat rows of flourishing cannabis blooms in compact fields, reflecting on how his life has changed since he joined Morocco's burgeoning legal cannabis industry two years ago. Like many farmers in the northern Rif mountains who have long grown the crop illegally, Talbi is relieved that raids and seizures by the authorities are no longer a worry. "I can now say I am a cannabis farmer without fear," Talbi told Reuters. "Peace of mind has no price." Talbi's pivot to legal farming is an example of what Morocco, one of the world's biggest cannabis producers, hoped to achieve when it legalised cultivation for medical and industrial use, but not for recreational purposes, in 2022. Regulating cannabis farming brought with it hopes for fresh revenue and economic revitalisation in the impoverished Rif region. The step made Morocco a forerunner among major producing countries and the first in the Middle East and North Africa to join a global trend that has seen countries like Canada, Germany and Uruguay legalise production and use. It also hoped to lure farmers away from the illegal economy in the restive Rif mountains, where cannabis production has long been tolerated to facilitate social peace. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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BLACK MARKET'S LURE PERSISTS Legalisation efforts have gained traction, with about 5,000 farmers joining the industry this year, from just 430 in 2023, says Morocco's cannabis regulator, or ANRAC. And legal production surged to nearly 4,200 tonnes last year, a 14-fold increase over the first harvest in 2023. Still, the black market remains dominant and lucrative due to demand for recreational use from Europe and regionally in Africa, potentially undermining efforts to fully regulate the sector. Morocco has 5,800 hectares (14,300 acres) of legally planted land, according to ANRAC. That's dwarfed by illegal cultivation spanning over 27,100 hectares, Interior Ministry data shows. While many farmers still choose illicit cultivation, they face the risk of increased crackdowns by authorities, which led to the seizure of 249 tonnes of cannabis resin by September last year, up 48% from all of 2023, according to the Interior Ministry. Mohammed Azzouzi, 52, spent three years in hiding for cannabis-related charges before receiving a royal pardon along with over 4,800 others last year. Now, he is preparing for his first legal harvest and hopes to earn more than the 10,000 dirhams ($1,100) he used to make in the illegal economy each year. RED TAPE The country's prohibition on growing cannabis for leisure use, along with bureaucratic red tape, limit legal farming, with every stage of the supply chain requiring a specific license from ANRAC, discouraging many a farmer from making the switch. A grower who wants to cultivate legally needs to join a licensed cooperative, which buys the farmer's product and processes it into derivatives or sells the resin to other licensed manufacturers. Talbi's cooperative, Biocannat, near the town of Bab Berred, 300 km (186 miles) north of Rabat, bought about 200 tonnes of cannabis last year from some 200 farmers, processing it into resin, supplements, capsules, oils and powders for medical and cosmetic purposes. About 60 km east of Biocannat, in the main producing area of Issaguen, farmer Mohamed El Mourabit was initially hopeful about the legalisation plan in 2021, but is less so now. "The process is too complicated," he said. And money talks, as well, for many farmers, who are lured by the higher rewards of the black market, despite its risks. While cooperatives take months to pay farmers about 50 dirhams per kilogram for the raw plant, on the illicit market, processed cannabis resin can fetch up to 2,500 dirhams per kilogram, farmers and activists say. To close that gap, legalisation advocates say growing for recreational use should be allowed, too. But it's not clear whether that will happen soon. Mohamed Guerrouj, head of ANRAC, said legalising recreational use would only be considered within a medical framework. "The goal is to develop Morocco's pharmaceutical industry ... not coffee shops," he said. REUTERS
Morocco World
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
Official: Talbi's Deal to Sunderland Confirmed
Sunderland have confirmed the signing of Moroccan winger Chemsedine Talbi from Club Brugge on a five-year deal. The 20-year-old joins the newly promoted Premier League side for an initial €21 million, with a potential €3 million in add-ons, according to the BBC. Talbi was promoted to Club Brugge's first team in early 2023 following his impressive rise through the ranks. He made 44 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring seven goals and providing four assists. He notably produced a standout performance in the UEFA Champions League, netting twice against Atalanta to help eliminate the Italian side. 'I'm really excited to be here and grateful for the opportunity to play for this club,' Talbi told the club's official website. 'The Premier League is the biggest and best league in the world, so I'm looking forward to getting started. I know the fans will get behind me from the start, and I can't wait to see them at the stadium.' Talbi is expected to join the squad for pre-season preparations later this month. Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: 'Our momentum and story are powerful, and I think players of Chemsedine's calibre – who are in high demand – are excited by the prospect of playing for Sunderland AFC.' Sunderland fans have welcomed the signing online: 'Exciting signing for Sunderland. Chemsedine Talbi brings fresh energy and talent to the squad. Looking forward to seeing him make an impact this season,' one supporter wrote on X. 'A superb addition. Welcome to Sunderland – can't wait to see you in red and white!' added another. Tags: Chemsdine TalbiMorocco national teampremier leagueSunderland
North Wales Chronicle
09-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Chemsdine Talbi joins Sunderland from Club Brugge on five-year contract
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract after the clubs agreed a fee understood to be in the region of £19.5million. Talbi arrived on Wearside on Tuesday and has completed a medical to join fellow new additions Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki as Regis Le Bris prepares for life back in the top flight. He said: 'I'm really excited to be here and grateful for the opportunity to play for this club. 'I made the decision because it's a great project with a talented, exciting team full of young players – and that really motivated me. Welcome to Sunderland AFC, Chemsdine Talbi! ❤️🇲🇦 — Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) July 9, 2025 'The Premier League is the biggest and best league in the world, so I'm looking forward to getting started. I know the fans will get behind me from the start, and I can't wait to see them at the stadium.' Talbi made 38 appearances for Brugge last season, 11 of them in the Champions League, as the club finished second by a point behind Royale Union Saint-Gilloise – Sadiki's former side – in the Jupiler League. Two of his seven goals for the campaign came in a 3-1 play-off victory at Atalanta in Europe on the way to a 6-1 aggregate defeat by Aston Villa in the last 16. Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman added: 'Our momentum and story are powerful, and I think players of Chemsdine's calibre, who are in high demand, are excited by the prospect of playing for Sunderland AFC. 'It's a testament to our recent past and immediate future that he feels this we are the right club for his next step.'
