Morocco mulls legalising marijuana

Moroccan lawmakers said they are considering legislation to make marijuana legal for medical and industrial purposes. Lawmakers are scheduled to meet Wednesday to debate the possibility of allowing the legal cultivation of marijuana, or "kif" as it is known locally, Middle East Online reported Tuesday. "We are organizing a research day in Parliament on Wednesday, on the use of medical kif, with Moroccan and international experts present," said Mehdi Bensaid, a member of the Party of Authenticity and Modernity. "The idea is to start a debate on that, to see what others' experiences in this field can tell us, looking at controlled rather than total legalization," he added. Among those to testify are two Swiss specialists. Those supporting the possible legislation said it would boost the economy in the Rif Mountains where marijuana is grown. An estimated 90,000 households and 760,000 Moroccans depend on marijuana production, the Middle East Online said.