Pakistan is Getting its Very Own Govt-Run Marijuana Office in Islamabad

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet has approved a Rs. 100 million technical supplementary grant for the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority plans for renovation and operational work after taking possession of the building previously housing the defunct Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies.

The matter came under discussion during a recent meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet, where officials were informed that the authority had requested an additional allocation through a Technical Supplementary Grant during the current fiscal year.

According to officials, the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority has been established under the Cabinet Division, with its headquarters located in Islamabad.

Authorities said the existing layout of the acquired building requires significant modifications and repurposing to meet the operational requirements of the CCRA headquarters. The ECC was informed that while the authority had sought Rs. 1 billion for fiscal year 2025-26, the Finance Division allocated only Rs. 200 million.

Due to financial constraints, the Cabinet Division arranged Rs. 100 million from its own funding demand and surrendered the amount in favor of the CCRA through a Technical Supplementary Grant.

The ECC subsequently approved the allocation of the surrendered Rs. 100 million to help complete renovation work and operationalize the remaining facilities.

The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority was established through an ordinance promulgated by former president Arif Alvi to regulate the cultivation, extraction, medical and industrial use, and sale of cannabis plants in Pakistan.

Under the framework, the authority operates through a 13 member board of governors chaired by the Defence Division secretary.

The board also includes senior officials from the Cabinet Division, Law Ministry, National Food Security Ministry, provincial governments, intelligence agencies, Anti Narcotics Force, and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.

The authority has been tasked with advising the federal government on cannabis related policy matters and issuing licenses for cultivation, production, and industrial use. Licenses issued under the framework are valid for five years.