ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Science and Technology has formulated Pakistan’s first hemp policy for the cultivation of hemp fibre for medicinal and industrial use.
Under the National Hemp Policy that has been forwarded to the federal cabinet for approval, a regulatory authority will be set up with one-window operation to facilitate the investors.
A source in the ministry told Pakistan Today that the work on the formulation of hemp policy was started by outgoing Minister for Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi back in year 2020. The source said that Shehryar Afridi had also commenced work on growing CBD oil made of hemp.
Both CBD oil and hemp fibre industry has capacity of around US$ 4 billion in Pakistan which is the best place for industrial production of hemp.
The source said that the idea of Shehryar Afridi was later materialised by the then minister for science and technology Fawad Chaudhry.
Science and Technology Minister Shibli Faraz in a statement said that the government has been receiving uncountable applications for the cultivation of hemp leaves. In the first phase, he added 100 firms were given licences for the purpose.
He said the hemp policy has been formulated in consultation with all the stakeholders, including the education, commerce and anti-narcotics ministries.
The minister said boundary walls would be erected around hemp fields and CCTV cameras installed for their monitoring. He pointed out the policy has been devised for the cultivation of medicinal and industrial hemp.
Shibli Faraza expressed the hope that the hemp policy will help cut down on the import of medicines and textile items.
In Sept last year, the federal cabinet had green-lighted the issuance of a first licence for medical and industrial use of hemp leaves.
