RAWALPINDI ( WNAM REPORT): The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), in collaboration with the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (CCRA), organized an informative Awareness Session on Cannabis & Hemp to highlight the immense potential of Pakistan’s emerging industrial and medicinal cannabis sector and to familiarize stakeholders with the National Cannabis Control and Regulatory Policy 2025.
RCCI President Usman Shaukat, along with Group Leader Sohail Altaf, Former President Raja Amer Iqbal, and members of the Executive Committee, warmly welcomed the CCRA delegation led by Major General (R) Zafar Ullah Khan, HI(M), Director General CCRA. The delegation also included Mr. Asif Haroon (Director/COS – Operations, Licensing & Vigilance), Dr. Fazal Wahid, Mr. Umar Farooq, Chairman Standing Committee on Pharmaceuticals, Zafar Iqbal, Consultant CCRA, and Ms. Zilehuma, Research Officer.
The session provided participants with a comprehensive overview of Pakistan’s National Cannabis Control and Regulatory Policy 2025, which establishes a regulated framework for the cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, marketing, and export of cannabis exclusively for industrial and pharmaceutical purposes while maintaining a strict prohibition on recreational use. The policy aligns with the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and aims to promote legal cultivation, reduce illicit trafficking, encourage research and innovation, generate employment, and attract domestic and foreign investment.
Participants discussed the vast commercial opportunities offered by hemp and medicinal cannabis across sectors including pharmaceuticals, textiles, paper, construction, nutraceuticals, and exports. The speakers emphasized that an effective regulatory framework, supported by licensing, quality assurance, and international compliance, will position Pakistan as a competitive player in the rapidly expanding global cannabis market while contributing to sustainable economic growth, value addition, and rural development.
