MIMOSA-Morocco

Minnesota & Morocco Stress and Addiction program (MIMOSA)

Team

Prof. Saïd Boujraf, Co-PI

Prof. Ismail Rammouz, Co-PI

This multidisciplinary substance use research and training program is based in Fes, Morocco, and expandable to other countries in the region. The program is launched in collaboration with multiple universities and coordinated by the University of Fez, taking advantage of a unique opportunity to work with heavy cannabis users in Morocco. Morocco has begun developing research capacity and it recognizes its unique, but unfortunate, role as one of the world’s major cannabis producers. More than half of cannabis users in Morocco’s care centers use an average of five joints per day, and a substantial minority (~15%) use well over 10 joints per day. Comorbid alcohol and other drug use is rare in Morocco, which will enable us to model rigorous scientific control in a population that is notorious for poly-substance use. Morocco may also act as a sentinel for the effects of newer, stronger strains of marijuana, which will have relevance for changing trends in U.S. marijuana use.