Market & legal data in the cannabidiol sector in Pakistan

16th September 2024: Pakistan: The National Assembly has passed the amended Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, following its approval by the Senate. Although the National Assembly had initially passed the bill last week, the Senate Standing Committee introduced changes that were later approved by the full Senate. As a result, the amended bill was sent back to the National Assembly for final approval.
13th September 2024: Pakistan: Yesterday (12th September), the Senate passed the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, which aims to regulate the cultivation and processing of hemp for medicinal and industrial purposes. Syed Hussain Abidi, chairman of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), said the bill seeks to regulate cannabis cultivation and production for public health protection and to harness its economic potential for industrial and medicinal use, estimated at between $4bn and $6bn. The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority will be overseen by a 13-member board chaired by the defence secretary, with representatives from various sectors.
12th September 2024: Pakistan: The government is set to introduce the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, in the Senate (upper house of Parliament) during the session scheduled for today, following its approval, with amendments, by the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology, according to the session’s agenda. Last week, the National Assembly (lower house) passed the bill, which is aimed at regulating hemp production for industrial purposes.
10th September 2024: Pakistan: The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology has unanimously passed the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, with amendments. The Senate required the inclusion of two members of the Senate, a man and a woman, as members of the Board of Governors of the authority, along with amendments to other clauses of the bill.
9th September 2024: Pakistan: The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology will review the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, press reports, after it was transferred from the Finance Committee. The bill was redirected to the Science and Technology Committee at the request of its chairperson, senator Kamil Ali Agha, following questions raised by Senate members as to why the bill had initially been assigned to the Finance Committee for discussion.
6th September 2024: Pakistan: The Senate has referred the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, to the relevant standing committee for further deliberation. The bill was sent to the committee after senator Zamir Ghumro requested more in-depth discussion. While presenting the bill, law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the cultivation of hemp would be exclusively for medicinal purposes.
5th September 2024: Pakistan: The Senate (upper house of Parliament) has added the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, to its agenda. The bill is aimed at regulating the cultivation, extraction, refining, manufacturing and sale of cannabis plant derivatives for medical and industrial purposes. According to the Senate’s agenda, defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will present the bill following its recent passage by the National Assembly (lower house) a few days ago.
3rd September 2024: Pakistan: The National Assembly has approved the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, by majority vote, following its inclusion on the legislative assembly’s agenda. The bill aims to regulate the cultivation of the cannabis plant, as well as the extraction, refining, manufacturing and sale of its derivatives for medical and industrial purposes.
2nd September 2024: Pakistan: The National Assembly has placed The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, on its agenda. The bill aims to regulate the cultivation, extraction, refining, manufacturing and sale of cannabis plant derivatives for medical and industrial use. According to today’s National Assembly’s Orders of the Day, defence minister Khawja Asif is scheduled to present the bill this evening.
27th August 2024: Pakistan: A report from the Standing Committee on the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, was presented in the National Assembly of Pakistan on Monday (26th August). Chairman Fateh Ullah Khan submitted the committee’s findings on the bill, which seeks to regulate the cultivation, extraction, refining, manufacturing and sale of cannabis plant derivatives for medicinal and industrial purposes.
22nd August 2024: Pakistan: The government of Pakistan has announced plans to allow commercial hemp cultivation starting in January 2025, aiming to tap into the global market valued at billions of dollars, according to officials from the Pakistan Council of Science & Industrial Research Institute. The Senate’s standing committee was informed that Pakistan could generate between $5bn and $7bn in foreign exchange through hemp product exports. Despite currently having hemp cultivation valued at $5bn, the potential is still underutilised. To regulate the industry, the establishment of the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority has been approved.
8th August 2024: Pakistan: The National Assembly (lower house of Parliament) is set to pass the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, following amendments from the Standing Committee on Defence, press reports. The bill seeks to establish a government agency to regulate the cultivation, extraction, refining, manufacturing and sale of cannabis plant derivatives for medical and industrial use. As a signatory to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, Pakistan must implement such regulatory measures. The committee unanimously recommended the bill for passage, pending consideration of its proposed amendments.

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Cannabis and cannabinoids in Pakistan

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Pakistan moves towards a legal hemp industry under the eye of government

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