Pakistan continues to set up its cannabis regulator

Pakistan speeds up implementation of its regulatory framework for medical cannabis and industrial hemp, while the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (CCRA), The newly-created company benefits from additional funding and strengthens its commitment to local production regions.

A regulatory body to oversee licensing and supervision

The CCRA was created by an ordinance of the French promulgated by former president Dr Arif Alvi, with a mandate to oversee the cultivation, extraction and sale of’medical and industrial use of cannabis, as well as its marketing.

The authority is headed by a 13-member board of directors, chaired by the Secretary of Pakistan's Defense Division. The Board includes senior officials such as the Cabinet Secretary, the Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs, and the Secretary for National Food Security and Research, as well as the Chief Secretaries of Pakistan's four provinces.

Institutions responsible for security and law enforcement are also represented, including the’Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Intelligence OfficeB , the Anti-drug force and the’Pakistan Drug Regulatory Authority.

Under the ordinance, the CCRA is empowered to issue licenses, which will be valid for five years, and to advise the federal government on policy decisions, including legislative changes. The policy should also include the possibility of creating regional offices across the country, according to operational needs.

Opening up to the Tirah valley aims to integrate traditional farmers

Beyond Islamabad, the CCRA is actively opening up to regions where cannabis cultivation has traditionally existed outside any official regulation. The authority welcomed a delegation of tribal elders and community leaders from the Tirah valley, a region renowned for its ancestral cannabis-growing traditions.

The meeting, which took place at the CCRA headquarters in Islamabad, was chaired by Major General (retired) Zafar Ullah Khan, who presented the national cannabis policy as the result of «almost a year and a half» of coordination and institutional deliberations.

«This culture, which has been associated with illegality for decades, can now become a source of dignity, prosperity and legal economic empowerment for the people of the Tirah Valley,» he said.

According to the Managing Director, the licensing framework aims to offer legal protection, direct market access and transparent pricing mechanisms to local growers, while reducing dependence on intermediaries.

«The state's objective is not repression, but the integration of local communities into a regulated economic framework,» he added.

Local representatives reportedly voiced concerns about pricing, transparency and safeguards against the entry of outside entities into the region. In response, the CCRA announced its intention to set up a joint advisory committee with local stakeholders.

The authority also highlighted provisions such as group licenses and collective farming models, aimed at giving priority to local growers.

A national framework for medical and industrial cannabis

Pakistan's national strategy focuses specifically on on the applications of medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp, These include pharmaceutical extracts, epilepsy treatments and hemp fiber industries such as textiles.

In January 2026, the Pakistani federal cabinet approved a National cannabis control and regulation policy, described as the country's first comprehensive framework for national cannabis management. The initiative builds on Pakistan's 2020 decision to legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp and medical cannabis.

This framework is designed to establish a regulated value chain, from cultivation to manufacturing, and could ultimately encourage the integration of cannabis-based treatments into Pakistan's healthcare system.

Pakistan has also allocated 1.95 billion rupees (€6 million) for the development of medical cannabis greenhouses, a national testing laboratory and regulatory infrastructure, as part of its efforts to build a «science-based» cannabis industry.

With global demand on the rise and Pakistan's climate deemed favorable to cultivation, the country now sees cannabis as both a regulatory challenge and a potential economic opportunity.