Think Forward.

Dopage, un problème de santé publique... 2651

Aziz Daouda, 2 y.
- Science - Health - Sports -
3.3 min read.
Je viens de passer une journée mémorable à Khouribga, le 30 décembre de l’année écoulée à l’invitation de l’Agence Marocaine Antidopage que préside la vaillante Fatima Abouali. C’était à l’occasion de l’une des étapes de la Caravane Nationale « Sport sans dopage », visant la sensibilisation des jeunes quant aux dangers des substances dopantes sur la santé; caravane placée sous le haut patronage de Sa Majesté le Roi , que Dieu l'assiste. A chacune de ces invitations, car ce n'est pas la première puisque j'avais participé à l'étape de Laayoune et d'Errachidia, l'occasion m'est donnée pour m'adresser aux autorités et personnalités présentes mais surtout aux dirigeants sportifs et aux jeunes. AMAD est l’autorité marocaine compétente en matière de lutte contre le dopage. Elle est assez récente puisque n’a été créée que suite aux directives royales contenues dans la lettre historique aux assises du sport en 2008. Elle compte aujourd'hui 3 ans d'âge. Cela ne veut point dire que les sportifs marocains n’étaient pas contrôlés avant la création de l’AMAD. C’était alors les fédérations internationales, puis une agence régionale qui contrôlait les sportifs dans toute la région d’Afrique du Nord. Sa Majesté disait en substance en 2008, dans cette lettre : « …Cela vaut également pour le dopage, qui constitue un phénomène étranger à nos traditions et à notre culture et qui est répréhensible par la loi et l'éthique sportive. C'est pourquoi Nous engageons les autorités compétentes à sévir vigoureusement contre cette pratique et à faire preuve d'intransigeance dans la répression de l'utilisation et de la commercialisation des substances dopantes, et ce, conformément à la législation nationale et à nos engagements internationaux en la matière. » C’est à cela que travaille sans répit l’AMAD. Outre de veiller sur les sportifs de haut niveau soumis de par la règlementation internationale à des protocoles strictes de contrôles réguliers, en compétition et surtout et beaucoup en dehors des compétitions, L’agence s’attaque aussi à un phénomène dont nous tardons probablement à prendre conscience, celui du recours par les amateurs adeptes de la culture du corps à des produits apparemment innocents et inoffensifs mais qui peuvent constituer un danger véritable pour la santé notamment des jeunes, souvent inconscients, insoucieux ou mal informés et formés. Le recours à des produits tels que certains compléments alimentaires, d’origine des fois douteuses, constitue un danger de santé publique et c’est pour en informer les populations que l’AMAD a initié la caravane qui sillonne le territoire national pour justement mettre beaucoup d’informations à la portée des jeunes. Prendre des produits d’une certaine nature peut s’avérer extrêmement dangereux avec des répercussions des fois irréversibles pouvant aller à des myopathies graves, des troubles de pression artérielle, des troubles graves de la sexualité et tant d’autres problèmes de santé. C’est dire qu’il ne s’agit pas d’effets secondaires auxquels on pourrait s’accommoder. Le professeur Moulay Ahmed Belimam, secrétaire général de l’AMAD, n’arrête pas de le répéter et d’alerter sur ces dangers d’un autre genre, des dangers des temps modernes. Certains compléments alimentaires comptent dans leurs compositions des stéroïdes anabolisants et autres molécules non autorisées et non admises dans la pratique sportive pour leur nocivité et parce que détournée de leur usage thérapeutique normal. Il s’agit en fait de contourner l’inefficacité des produits de fabrication de base de ses compléments alimentaires en y ajoutant des molécules et composants dont les effets sont connus, par exemple sur le volume musculaire notamment par leurs effets la rétention d’eau. Le volume musculaire, outre la question de l’apparence laisse donner une impression de force, hélas oh combien illusoire. les personnes prenant ces produits, apparemment forts, ne sont même pas aussi forts que la moyenne des personnes non entrainées. Les recherches ont aussi montré le caractère addictif de ces produits ; le consommateur se retrouve ainsi pris dans un engrenage qu’il ne va plus maitriser. Qu'une discipline sportive isolée soit contaminée par le phénomène de dopage, on peut toujours objecter qu'il s'agit d'un fléau que l’on peut possiblement circonscrire. On peut alors prendre des mesures appropriées et corriger l'anomalie. La gravité découle ici du fait que de nombreuses disciplines sportives et pratiques physiques pour ne pas dire toutes sont contaminées. Des jeunes dont l’objet de la pratique n’est pas la compétition ou encore des jeunes qui pratiquent sans la moindre volonté de faire partie du mouvement sportif national sont aujourd’hui victimes insoucieuses de pratiques nocives pour leur santé et illicites vis à vis de la loi. Cela devient préoccupant. Il y a là un problème de santé publique et de mise en œuvre de la loi. S’imposent ainsi des mesures de contrôle des produits suspects, de leur traçabilité et de la nature de leurs composants tout aussi bien que s’impose de débusquer les circuits d’approvisionnement et de la commercialisation frauduleuses. Et il y a urgence. Reste aussi à persévérer dans la voie de la lutte contre les pratiques de dopage car c'est aussi de la triche ; c’est interdit et encadré par les règlements sportifs mais également par la loi. Les consommateurs/utilisateurs de produits et pratiques interdites doivent en être dissuadés. Ceux qui en font la promotion, ceux qui en font commerce, sportifs, dirigeants doivent savoir que c'est à la fois dangereux et illicite. Tous doivent comprendre que c’est une triche inadmissible et qu’il y a au Maroc une loi qui prévoit des punitions sévères pour cette triche-là spécifiquement. Celui ou celle qui se dope, finit toujours par se faire attraper car toute substance introduite dans le corps est détectable. Tous ce que vous mettez dans votre corps à peine consommé laisse des traces ; des traces détectables en laboratoire. La loi aujourd’hui ne punit plus que le sportif en cas de dopage mais également toute personne en relation avec le cas confondu. En 2022, l’AMAD a effectué un total de 919 tests, dont 704 effectués par l’AMAD en qualité d’autorité de contrôle et 215 prélèvements, comme autorité de prélèvement réalisés pour le compte et à la demande d’autres organismes.
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Aziz Daouda

Aziz Daouda

Directeur Technique et du Développement de la Confédération Africaine d'Athlétisme. Passionné du Maroc, passionné d'Afrique. Concerné par ce qui se passe, formulant mon point de vue quand j'en ai un. Humaniste, j'essaye de l'être, humain je veux l'être. Mon histoire est intimement liée à l'athlétisme marocain et mondial. J'ai eu le privilège de participer à la gloire de mon pays .


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Moroccans’ Relationship to the Law: A Great Misunderstanding… 155

Aziz Daouda, 14 h.
- Politics - Society - Lifestyle -
3.2 min read.
The relationship between Moroccans and the law reveals a profound ambiguity, fueled by a build-up of paradoxes and historical, cultural, and political contradictions. It cannot be explained solely by a lack of communication or pedagogy, but by a deeply rooted perception in which the law is not seen as a collective framework to be respected out of conviction, but as an external constraint, often imposed and rarely internalized. First, one must highlight the ignorance—sometimes deliberate—of the very existence of many laws. In numerous cases, the Moroccan citizen only discovers a text when it is opposed to them in a conflictual situation. This reactive, rather than proactive, relationship with the law generates paradoxical behaviors: resigned acceptance when it imposes itself forcefully, but also recourse to excuses, justifications, or feigned ignorance whenever its application becomes restrictive. To this lack of knowledge is added an ambivalent attitude: the law is respected not out of moral adherence, but out of fear of sanction. Road traffic provides the clearest illustration: the presence of a police officer results in scrupulous respect for the code, while their absence unleashes anarchic behavior. In other words, authority substitutes for civic conviction. But the problem does not lie solely in individual behavior. The legal framework itself suffers from a lack of updating and adaptation. Many Moroccan laws are inherited from a bygone era, conceived in another social context, and struggle to address today’s realities. The legislative process, too slow and often opaque, widens the gap between texts and citizens’ aspirations. Public debates on bills are rare, if not nonexistent, and civil society finds only a marginal place in them. This democratic shortfall is compounded by the chronic passivity of political parties and the decline of union membership, depriving the public arena of genuine contradictory debate. The situation is also aggravated by the language issue: when debates do take place, laws are written, discussed, published, and applied in a language that is not the everyday language of Moroccans. Added to this is the perception of institutional inefficiency: a parliament marked by a lack of competence and seriousness, a political elite sometimes disconnected, and local authorities unable to translate citizens’ needs into effective texts and decisions. Thus, some laws appear disconnected—or even foreign—to social realities. They sometimes criminalize harmless behaviors that harm neither the individual nor the community, but instead reflect the imposition of a conservative morality at the expense of individual freedom. Religious morality is never far away. Hence the crucial question: where does law end and morality begin? And above all, what place should ethics have in the governance of a country in transition, a country aspiring to development and modernity and making colossal efforts in that direction? Faced with these gaps, citizens develop strategies of adaptation, sometimes of survival. The law becomes flexible, respected or not depending on the situation, depending on the eye of authority. Respect is no longer a conviction but a calculation. But can one demand respect for a law perceived as illegitimate, useless, or unjust? Can texts be maintained in force when the majority of citizens systematically bypass them, and even the agents charged with enforcing them transgress them individually? This ambiguous relationship is built from childhood, in the transmission of social norms. A child learns at school that alcohol is forbidden out of respect for religion and the law, but at home or nearby sees it consumed casually. They are taught respect for the traffic code, but their father runs red lights whenever the police are not around. This contradictory education creates lasting confusion between proclaimed values and lived practices, reinforcing the idea that the law is not a universal rule but a contextual constraint. Thus emerges a sense of fear rather than respect for laws, a belief that they are meant for others and not oneself; a perception that the law is imposed rather than serving to protect everyone’s rights. Social networks and certain public voices, as YouTuber Maysa recently did, contribute to exposing these inconsistencies. In a video, she highlighted the multiple Moroccan laws that, although still in force, are almost never applied. This illustrates an implicit permissiveness that undermines the credibility of the rule of law. A law that exists without being enforced becomes a mere symbol, even an instrument of arbitrary selectivity. It should at the very least be revised. Law is not meant to be a mere tool of control, much less an end in itself. It must enable social harmony, protect freedoms, and regulate collective life. It must evolve with its time, reflect society’s aspirations, and avoid imposing outdated modes of thought. Today, Moroccans have changed, their lifestyles have evolved, but the legal framework and collective mentality remain frozen in old representations. Many openly speak of “social hypocrisy,” denouncing the double language between words and deeds in public, between official discourse and actual practices. Breaking out of this ambiguity requires a twofold shift: on the one hand, a bold legal reform that adapts laws to social realities and contemporary values; on the other, an effort of awareness-raising and education to reconcile citizens with the law. This transformation can only succeed if Moroccans agree to break with the social ambivalence and split personality that corrode daily behaviors. Reflection on the relationship between Moroccan citizens and the law thus opens a broader field: that of ethics, social evolution, and modernization of the legal framework. A state of law cannot thrive without collective adherence, and a society cannot be built on rules that everyone strives to circumvent. Restoring the law’s legitimacy and credibility is to lay the foundations for a more coherent, just, and respected coexistence. Judging from the clashes around the *Moudawana* and other legislative projects—between the Minister of Justice and certain parliamentarians of a political current that sees itself as guardian of the temple—it seems difficult to move forward at the necessary speed in today’s world.

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa 429

Tupan, 2 d.
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (1486–1535) was a German polymath, physician, soldier, and occult philosopher whose writings laid the intellectual foundations for much of the Western esoteric tradition. He is best known for his magnum opus, *De Occulta Philosophia Libri Tres* (Three Books of Occult Philosophy), a comprehensive synthesis of magic, Kabbalah, Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, and Christian mysticism. In Agrippa, the currents of the Renaissance—scientific curiosity, classical revival, and spiritual yearning—converged in a deep and somewhat controversial body of work. Born in Cologne in 1486, Agrippa was educated in classical literature, theology, and law, but he also immersed himself in the esoteric arts—alchemy, astrology, angelology, and ceremonial magic. He traveled widely across Europe, engaging with scholars, nobility, and religious authorities. He often served as a physician and lecturer, while simultaneously pursuing his deeper passion for the hidden structure of reality that he believed could be revealed through magickal philosophy. Agrippa was a direct student and correspondent of Johannes Trithemius (1462-1516), the abbot of Sponheim and a key figure in early modern magical and cryptographic studies. Trithemius, known for his own influential work *Steganographia*, served as a mentor who inspired Agrippa’s lifelong pursuit of hidden knowledge and spiritual science. He also encouraged Agrippa to refine his ideas on occult philosophy into a systematic form, which would later become *De Occulta Philosophia*. In *De Occulta Philosophia*, Agrippa organizes magick into three interconnected worlds: 1) The Elemental world, governed by natural philosophy and the powers of the four elements (earth, water, air, fire). 2) The Celestial world, influenced by the movements of the stars and planets—i.e., astrology. 3) The Intellectual or Divine world, ruled by angelic hierarchies, divine archetypes, and the mysteries of the Kabbalah. For Agrippa, true magick was not superstition but a sacred science, a means by which the human soul could ascend through the created order toward union with the divine. He viewed the magician not as a manipulator of forces for selfish ends, but as a philosopher-priest who, through study, virtue, and divine illumination, could harmonize with the cosmos and act as a mediator between heaven and earth. Yet Agrippa’s life was marked by tension and contradiction. He often ran into problems with church authorities, accused of heresy or subversion. In his later years, he published *De Incertitudine et Vanitate Scientiarum* (On the Uncertainty and Vanity of the Sciences), a scathing critique of dogmatic knowledge, including his own magickal writings—though many scholars interpret this as rhetorical irony or spiritual disillusionment rather than renunciation. Agrippa died in 1535, likely in Grenoble. Though seen by some as a charlatan and heretic, his influence endures until today. His Occult Philosophy became a cornerstone of Renaissance magic, shaping later figures like John Dee, Giordano Bruno, and Eliphas Levi. Even modern Hermetic and ceremonial traditions—such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn—owe much to Agrippa’s system of correspondences and metaphysical cosmology. Nowadays, Agrippa is recognized not merely as a magician, but as a pioneer of symbolic thought, a bridge between medieval mysticism and modern esotericism. His work continues to guide and inspire those who seek the hidden harmonies of the universe—through reason, reverence, and the transformative power of the imagination.

Perfect Imperfection 545

El Hombre Galan, 2 d.
- Poetry -
0.4 min read.
She has beautiful imperfection The right kind of right The sad song played happily when the black dog critic cries here after her Fragility and lies from un-cropped truth- this is something entirely surreal Hold on to embrace her necessity, and life gives life to her again The failed faucets of memories are for the taking- hurry up, love and let’s start to make mementos See the seas to sight and songs played loudly, quiet between the space of us I am trust and bare bones, I see the perfect imperfection in passing lines formed on your face Imperfection by society's eyes and mouth, unmoved and unbreakable determination - you make the bitter taste sweet. You are perfect imperfection.

Divided by time and Diluted by the days 548

El Hombre Galan, 2 d.
- Philosophy -
0.5 min read.
What you are is the resistance to yourself - exhausting life and preserving it at the same time- until you are not here. Rest from rest Work from work Is this not what life is - self-examination of the self, the echo you hear that comes to you, not from you. My thoughts are not mine then- they come to me from whom? I am this, the I behind I - or my mind behind my mind. Rest from rest Work from work I’m divided by time, diluted by the days ahead of me, I am what is left over 20 yrs, 30 yrs, and more. How much can I give each day? What will be left? How does this end? The perfect start to a bad ending? A bad start with a perfect end? Rest from rest Work from work Have you preserved and exhausted yourself and lived a full life in the best way you could? If not, try again!

Be Free From Yourself 549

El Hombre Galan, 2 d.
- Philosophy -
0.5 min read.
What are we waiting for? You and I Living and dying in an eternal day Waiting for the light to fade away? I lie in the bed at night to read or see the stars, and I feel 1000 pounds on me- because life holds and presses hard, not because of difficulty. I can beat life, but it presses hard and holds me down because I am waiting; waiting for what? I have ideas. Our lives have been turned in on themselves, and now we wait for things to happen—most of the time. I don’t think we waited much in the past for things, and maybe we will wait more in the future. This cannot be good. Are some of us still in conflict with this- I don’t like waiting, and I am restless. It is time to make things happen and free myself of this feeling.

Morocco, 18th Global Power in the World Athletics Championships Thanks to a Rich History of Medals 873

Aziz Daouda, 5 d.
- Society - Sports -
3.4 min read.
The national sports memory proudly retains the very rich medal record of the country, accumulated since the advent of the World Athletics Championships in 1983. This idea was born from a visionary and innovative president of the IAAF, the Italian Primo Nebiolo. At that time, the athletics world gathered in Helsinki for an unprecedented experience. Athletics was just beginning to organize quality meetings and barely tolerating that athletes receive some monetary compensation for their performances. Until then, at the global level, athletes only competed at the Olympic Games and were not entitled to any payment or commercial contracts. While Morocco was not present at the first Olympic Games, it made its mark at this inaugural edition of the World Championships alongside two other African countries: Ethiopia, which won a silver medal, and Nigeria which, like Morocco, won a bronze. Since then, Morocco has ensured a certain continuity with very honorable results. Notably, a 5th place finish in 1999 in Seville, an edition marked by controversy: Nezha Bidouane was wrongly deprived of the gold medal in the 400m hurdles due to a judging error. Despite an appeal to the jury and clear evidence brought by the left photo-finish, the decision was not overturned. President Nebiolo had promised to repair this injustice at the first IAAF council meeting but unfortunately passed away in the meantime. He was replaced by Senegalese Lamine Diack, the jury president who refused to revise the result, likely to avoid contradicting competition officials. At this Seville edition, Morocco won five medals, including gold by Hicham El Guerrouj in the 1500m and Salah Hissou in the 5000m. Two other silver medals were won by Nezha Bidouane in the 400m hurdles and Zahra Ouaaziz in the 5000m, while Ali Ezzine took bronze in the 3000m steeplechase. These achievements, realized under intense heat and a special atmosphere, allowed Morocco to rise to fifth place in the world medals table. It is worth recalling that this success occurred at the very beginning of His Majesty King Mohammed VI's reign, who has surrounded athletes with his generous royal care. Despite a recent decrease in the number of medals, Morocco still occupies the 18th place in the global medals table at the World Athletics Championships today. It was Said Aouita who opened the way at the first edition in Helsinki in 1983 by winning bronze in the 1500 meters. With a little more experience, he could have won the race, which was dominated by the British Steve Cram in just 3 minutes 41.59 seconds, and American Steve Scott, who finished second. Morocco was truly new at this level of competition. Among individual athletes, legend Hicham El Guerrouj is today the most decorated Moroccan at the World Athletics Championships, with six medals: four golds in the 1500 meters, and two silvers in the 1500m and 5000m. Another legend, Nezha Bidouane, leads the women's medal tally with three world medals, including two gold and one silver. She remains, like Hicham El Guerrouj in the 1500m, the most decorated in the world in the 400m hurdles. An analysis of results shows that it is in the 1500m that Morocco has won the most medals, including the four golds of Hicham El Guerrouj and the silver of Adil Kaouch, former junior world champion in this distance. Adding to this are Said Aouita and Abdelati Iguider, who each hold a bronze medal over this distance. On the women's side, the most medals were won in the 400m hurdles, thanks to Nezha Bidouane. The historical record of Moroccan athletics at the World Championships is rich: twelve male and four female athletes have represented Morocco at this level in seven disciplines: 400m hurdles, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, 3000m steeplechase, and the marathon. Let us not forget also the long jump with Yahya Berrabah's 4th place at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu. For the 20th edition, starting on September 13 in Tokyo, Morocco is participating with about twenty athletes. Hopes rest especially on Soufiane El Bakkali, who could join Hicham El Guerrouj in the number of gold medals if victorious. Fatima Ezzahara Gardadi is also cited as a potential medalist, her 2023 feat in Budapest where she won bronze in the marathon remaining fresh in everyone's memory. Summary of Morocco's medal record at the World Athletics Championships throughout history: - 1st edition, Helsinki 1983: Said Aouita, bronze in 1500m; Morocco's ranking: 21st - 2nd edition, Rome 1987: Said Aouita, gold in 5000m; Morocco's ranking: 9th - 3rd edition, Tokyo 1991: Moulay Brahim Boutayeb, bronze in 5000m; Khalid Sekkah, bronze in 10,000m; Morocco's ranking: 28th - 4th edition, Stuttgart 1993: no medal - 5th edition, Gothenburg 1995: Hicham El Guerrouj, gold in 1500m; Khalid Sekkah, silver in 10,000m; Khalid Boulami, silver in 5000m; Zahra Ouaaziz, bronze in 5000m; Morocco's ranking: 25th - 6th edition, Athens 1997: Hicham El Guerrouj, gold in 1500m; Nezha Bidouane, gold in 400m hurdles; Khalid Boulami, silver in 5000m; Salah Hissou, bronze in 10,000m; Morocco's ranking: 6th - 7th edition, Seville 1999: Hicham El Guerrouj, gold in 1500m; Salah Hissou, gold in 5000m; Nezha Bidouane, silver in 400m hurdles; Zahra Ouaaziz, silver in 5000m; Ali Ezzine, bronze in 3000m steeplechase; Morocco's ranking: 5th - 8th edition, Edmonton 2001: Nezha Bidouane, gold in 400m hurdles; Hicham El Guerrouj, gold in 1500m; Ali Ezzine, silver in 3000m steeplechase; Morocco's ranking: 10th - 9th edition, Paris 2003: Jaouad Gharib, gold in marathon; Hicham El Guerrouj, gold in 1500m; Hicham El Guerrouj, silver in 5000m; Morocco's ranking: 9th - 10th edition, Helsinki 2005: Jaouad Gharib, gold in marathon; Hasna Benhassi, silver in 800m; Adil Kaouch, silver in 1500m; Morocco's ranking: 10th - 11th edition, Osaka 2007: Hasna Benhassi, silver in 800m; Morocco's ranking: 28th - 12th to 14th editions (Berlin 2009, Daegu 2011, Moscow 2013): no medals - 15th edition, Beijing 2015: Abdelati Iguider, bronze in 1500m; Morocco's ranking: 32nd - 16th edition, London 2017: Soufiane El Bakkali, silver in 3000m steeplechase; Morocco's ranking: 31st - 17th edition, Doha 2019: Soufiane El Bakkali, bronze in 3000m steeplechase; Morocco's ranking: 31st - 18th edition, Eugene 2022: Soufiane El Bakkali, gold in 3000m steeplechase; Morocco's ranking: 22nd - 19th edition, Budapest 2023: Soufiane El Bakkali, gold in 3000m steeplechase; Fatima Zahra Gardadi, bronze in marathon; Morocco's ranking: 15th.

Morocco and the Cannabis Renaissance: History, Regulation, and Current Economic Challenges... 1281

Aziz Daouda, 7 d.
Morocco has entered a major phase in structuring its cannabis industry, with the authorization to market 67 derived products: 26 cosmetics and 41 dietary supplements, all compliant with standards and duly registered with the Moroccan Agency for Medicine and Health Products. This step is preliminary to their placement on the national market or export. The National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities, through its vigilance, reflects the country’s determination to maintain its credibility with investors and foreign partners in a rapidly expanding global market. While many citizens believe that kif was banned because it is harmful to health, a historical review clarifies what really happened and why this miraculous plant suddenly became a target in the war on drugs. Hemp has had multiple uses for millennia. As a strong textile fiber, it was used to make sails and ropes for ships. Without it, humans could not have navigated for long distances. Early printed papers and clothing in many regions were also hemp-based. Its cultivation required little labor and water, making it a formidable competitor to cotton. The prohibition of cannabis must be reconsidered in light of the Industrial Revolution and the rise of cotton from the 19th century onwards. Spinning and weaving machines designed for cotton gradually made it the dominant fiber, driving its massive growth. Moreover, the British and American colonial empires exploited vast plantations with servile labor, first through slavery, then poorly paid workers. These powerful interests put hemp at a disadvantage. The decisive turning point occurred in the 1930s in the United States, when the cotton, paper, and emerging chemical industries, notably with synthetic fibers, allied to eliminate hemp. Harry Anslinger, then head of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics, likely in collusion with large industrial interests, led a campaign deliberately conflating industrial hemp with recreational cannabis. In 1937, the Marihuana Tax Act banned hemp cultivation. Thanks to propaganda and economic interests, this policy spread worldwide. In 1961, the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs classified cannabis among strictly controlled drugs, even for medical and industrial use, thus marginalizing hemp over the long term. Cotton then became the dominant fiber, favoring industrial networks. In Morocco, kif, a traditional form of cannabis often mixed with tobacco and smoked in a sebsi pipe, lies at the heart of a rich and complex history marked by social, political, and economic dynamics. For centuries, kif has been grown mainly in the north, around Chefchaouen, Ketama, and Issaguen. Far from being just an illegal plant, it was historically tolerated and seen as essential to local subsistence. Used for its social and medicinal virtues, kif was part of daily life almost everywhere. Since 1906, a company was created to ensure state control over kif. Under the Protectorate, it was officially named the Régie du Kif et des Tabacs. The reasons were mostly fiscal from 1917. Spanish authorities in the north applied more flexible rules, pragmatically dealing with local tribes. Upon independence, Morocco inherited a complex dilemma: kif was deeply rooted in society but faced growing international pressure. Under Mohammed V and then Hassan II, the country adopted gradual measures. The state monopoly was abolished in 1957–1958, and cultivation became illegal, even though tacit tolerance persisted in some historic Rif zones. The 1970s marked a crackdown under increasing pressure from the United States and Europe. The Moroccan 1974 narcotics law strictly banned cultivation, consumption, and sale of kif. Yet despite heightened repression, clandestine production exploded, driven by strong European demand. The Rif established itself as one of the world’s major cannabis resin basins. After decades of prohibition and socio-economic conflicts linked to kif, and under pressure from scientists and the public, in view of global developments, Morocco took a turning point in 2021 by enacting a law framing the legal use of cannabis for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes. Recreational consumption remains prohibited. The state is gradually integrating growers into a legal, controlled sector, reducing informality and improving local economic conditions. The history of kif in Morocco is a trajectory marked by millennia of tolerance, colonial regulations, prohibitions imposed under international pressure, before opening the way to a recent, intelligent, legal, and regulated reconversion. Today, hemp is regaining recognition almost everywhere. Less water-intensive, soil-friendly, producing seeds, oil, and natural insulating materials, it is becoming a pillar of the ecological transition. This plant, once banned to protect powerful economic interests, now seeks to reclaim its historic and natural place. This revival is particularly visible in Morocco. The area legally cultivated with hemp more than tripled in 2025 with 4,400 hectares sown, mainly with the local “baladiya” variety, a tangible sign of growth after decades of informality. It is an economic revitalization lever for Rif regions traditionally dependent on an underground economy. The 2021 legalization aims to channel a historic production into a regulated framework while creating a high-value-added industry. Beyond agriculture, a complete chain of processing, packaging, certification, and export is being set up, generating fiscal revenues and enhancing Morocco’s attractiveness to international investors. It is no longer just about cultivating cannabis, but about developing a structured industry that respects strict standards and can compete in a dynamic global market. This economic transformation is seen as a chance to reconcile a long-illegal sector with the mechanisms of a powerful economy. Challenges remain numerous, from strict regulation to combating illicit diversions, organizing cooperatives, and fiscal adaptation. But the course is clear: transform an ancient agricultural heritage into an engine of inclusive growth and sustainable economic integration.