Farmers who organise into cooperatives in the northern mountain areas of Al Houceima, Taounat and Chefchaouen will be gradually allowed to grow cannabis to meet the needs of the legal market, the agency said.
Cannabis is already widely cultivated in Morocco illegally and the new law, passed by the parliament last year, does not permit its use for recreation.
The law is intended to improve farmers' incomes and protect them from drug traffickers who control the cannabis trade and export it illegally to Europe.
(Reporting by Ahmed El Jechtimi, Writing by Angus McDowall, Editing by Louise Heavens)
