News: Pakistan Officials Are Moving To Legalize Cultivation Of Cannabis For Industrial And Medical Use.

Published 12:00 AM EST, Thurs Apr 17, 2025

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday officially decided to legalize the cultivation of cannabis (hemp) in specific districts of the province, marking a significant step toward regulated industrial and medical use. Under this initiative, cultivation would be permitted only through licensed growers, and a strict monitoring framework will be established.

---

---

The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has officially announced the legalization of cannabis (hemp) cultivation in selected districts, signaling a strategic move toward controlled industrial and medical use. This initiative restricts cultivation to licensed individuals and includes a robust monitoring system to prevent misuse. The initial rollout will be geographically limited, focusing only on designated areas to ensure effective regulation during the early stages.

A dedicated regulatory authority will be established to supervise all operations related to cannabis, including cultivation, processing, transportation, and end-use. The oversight framework will be reinforced by a multi-departmental licensing committee, comprising representatives from agriculture, health, excise, and narcotics control departments. Formal policies and legal structures have already been ratified by the provincial government to support the implementation of this program.

Provincial Agriculture Minister Sajjad Barkwal highlighted that cannabis farming will not interfere with food crop production and asserted the program’s economic potential. Licensing fees will be tailored to different cultivation scales, ensuring that only qualified applicants are authorized. The government views this policy as a dual-purpose solution—to foster economic growth through regulated cannabis use and to eliminate illegal, unregulated cultivation practices. This policy marks a pivotal moment in South Asia’s cannabis landscape, especially in a country like Pakistan where cannabis remains a sensitive topic. By transitioning from prohibition to regulation, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sets a precedent for other provinces and potentially neighboring countries. The framework supports industrial applications such as textiles and bio-composites, as well as pharmaceutical and therapeutic research, aligning with global trends in cannabis commercialization. For investors, researchers, and agricultural innovators, this move opens doors to new opportunities, introduces a legal domestic source of raw material, and contributes to legitimizing cannabis as a sustainable economic resource.

Source: The Nation