Morocco has launched a scientific study to test whether cannabis-derived compounds can be used in poultry feed, as the country explores new legal applications for the plant and seeks alternatives to antibiotics in animal farming.
The 10-month research programme was announced following the signing of a framework agreement between Morocco’s cannabis regulator and a leading state agronomy institute, marking a further step in Rabat’s efforts to develop a regulated cannabis industry beyond traditional uses.
The Moroccan Agency for the Regulation of Activities Related to Cannabis (ANRAC) said the study will examine the use of a cannabis-based molecule as a substitute for growth-promoting antibiotics in poultry production, a practice increasingly scrutinised worldwide over concerns about antimicrobial resistance.
Under the agreement with the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine in Rabat, researchers aim to develop clear scientific protocols for integrating the cannabis-derived molecule into animal feed, paving the way for potential industrial-scale use.
ANRAC said the initiative is intended to ensure that any such application is properly regulated and backed by scientific evidence, as Morocco gradually expands the legal scope of cannabis in agriculture and veterinary medicine.
“The objective is to assess the feasibility of developing a poultry feed formula based on a cannabis-derived molecule that could be adopted at the industrial level,” the agency said in a statement.
The Veterinary Medicine Department at the institute will lead the research, focusing on the compound’s impact on poultry gut health, immune response and overall productivity. Researchers will also evaluate whether the molecule can help improve the quality of poultry products.
If successful, the study could support the replacement of growth-promoting antibiotics, which are widely used in intensive farming to boost weight gain and prevent disease, but which have been linked to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Global health bodies, including the World Health Organization, have repeatedly warned against the overuse of antibiotics in livestock, urging countries to develop safer alternatives to protect both animal and human health.
Moroccan researchers hope the cannabis-based molecule could offer such an alternative, provided it proves effective, safe and economically viable.
The project comes as Morocco continues to reshape its approach to cannabis after decades in which the plant was largely associated with illicit cultivation and trafficking, particularly in the northern Rif region.
In 2021, parliament passed landmark legislation legalising cannabis for medical, cosmetic and industrial uses, while maintaining a ban on recreational consumption. The reform aimed to bring an informal sector into the legal economy, improve farmers’ incomes and allow the state to regulate production and exports.
Since the law came into force, ANRAC has steadily expanded licensing. In 2024, the agency issued around 3,000 permits for legal cannabis cultivation and production, a sharp rise from just a few hundred licences granted the previous year.
The permits were distributed among farmers, cooperatives and companies involved in cultivation, processing, transport, marketing and export, reflecting the government’s ambition to build an integrated value chain.
Authorities say the legal cannabis industry has already begun producing licensed goods, including cosmetic products and dietary supplements, with the potential to expand into pharmaceuticals, textiles and now animal feed.
The government argues that regulation can help revitalise rural economies, create jobs and reduce the risks faced by farmers who previously relied on illegal cultivation, often at the mercy of traffickers and fluctuating demand.
Yet the reforms have also drawn criticism. Some observers warn that the legal market remains tightly controlled an
