The federal cabinet has approved the production of industrial hemp by the government in a decision that could result in a $1 billion market for Pakistan in the future, Minister For Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said on Wednesday.
The minister had first announced the decision on Tuesday on Twitter, saying the cabinet had approved the first license for the science and technology ministry and the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) for industrial and medical use of hemp. He said the "landmark decision" would place Pakistan in the international cannabidiol (CBD) market worth billions of dollars.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Chaudhry said some people were misinterpreting the cabinet decision as allowing the cultivation of a poppy-like crop in Pakistan which could be used to make addictive drugs.
He clarified that the industrial hemp plant contains a compound called cannabidiol, which can "play a very important role" in medical therapies meant to mitigate severe and chronic pain. He noted that several countries including China and Canada were cultivating hemp on tens of thousands of acres.
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