National Hemp Policy Awaited Comments From Various Ministries For Approval

ISLAMABAD, Nov 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Nov, 2022 ) :The draft of National Industrial Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Policy is still awaiting the comments of the Ministry of Narcotics Control, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of National food Security and Research for further approval.

These ministries have been requested for their views or comments on the policy draft on August 24, 2022 in light of the instructions given by Cabinet Division.

According to an official source, the draft National Industrial Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Policy was formulated after thorough consultation with relevant stakeholders and approved by the Prime Minister's office on March 02, 2022.

The draft National Industrial Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Policy was submitted to the Federal Cabinet on March 04, 2022 for its approval while the summary was returned by the Cabinet Division with the directions to resubmit, after the approval of new Federal Minister on April 04, 2022.

The summary was then re-submitted to Federal Cabinet for its consideration on August 05, 2022.

While the Cabinet Division in its recent letter has returned the summary with the advice that it may be routed through Ministry of Narcotics Control, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of National Food Security and Research and Cabinet Division for further placement before the Cabinet.

About the hemp cultivation, the official source revealed that as per the approval of Federal Cabinet, a PC-I regarding Cultivation and Processing of Industrial Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis on Experimental basis in 3 sites of PCSIR at Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and 02 sites of PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi were proposed by Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).

The Hemp has been cultivated so far at a land area measuring 0.75 acres at Greenhouse Environment Research Facility, Rawat PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi while 4500 plants have been cultivated in greenhouse on 06 kanals land at PCSIR Labs Complex, Lahore.

The Greenhouse with an area of six kanals for cultivation in controlled environment conditions has been constructed at PCSIR Labs Complex, Peshawar.

PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi sent 73.3 kg of cannabis leaves, seeds and flowers of four different varieties to PCSIR Labs Complex, Lahore for medicinal exploitation.

Extraction, method optimization and validation or standardization have been completed at PCSIR Labs Complex, Lahore while National Textile University, Faisalabad has prepared hemp fibre from the stems of hemp plant provided by the PMAS Arid Agriculture University.

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