Cannabis control body plans Rs200m renovation
The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (CCRA) plans to spend Rs200 million on the renovation of its building after taking over possession of the property housing the defunct Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies from the Ministry of Science and Technology.
It was informed during a recent meeting of the economic decision-making body that the authority had requested an additional allocation of Rs200 million through a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) during the current fiscal year to finish renovation work and operationalise the remaining facilities.
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet was told that CCRA had been established under the Cabinet Division and its headquarters would be in Islamabad. Also, it may set up offices at such places in the country "as it may deem fit".
It was highlighted that compared to the authority's demand for Rs1,000 million, the Finance Division allocated Rs200 million for the current fiscal year – 2025-26. Additionally, the authority has formally taken over possession of the building of the defunct Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the existing layout needs to be repurposed to meet the specific office requirements of the CCRA headquarters.
Owing to financial constraints, the Cabinet Division could arrange Rs100 million from its funding demand and surrendered the same amount in favour of CCRA under a technical supplementary grant.
The ECC was requested to approve the allocation of the surrendered amount of Rs100 million in favour of CCRA to help it complete renovation work and operationalise the remaining facilities.
The cabinet committee considered a summary titled "Requirement of Additional Funds Amounting to Rs100 million in favour of Cannabis Control & Regulatory Authority through TSG" and approved the proposal.
Former president Dr Arif Alvi had promulgated an ordinance to establish the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority aimed at overseeing and regulating the cultivation, extraction, medical and industrial use as well as the sale of cannabis plants. Under its administration, a 13-member board of governors will exercise control, with the chairmanship held by the Defence Division secretary.
The board will consist of the cabinet secretary, law and justice secretary and national food security and research secretary. Additionally, its members include the chief secretaries of four provinces, two members from the private sector, representatives of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Anti-Narcotics Force and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.
The mandate of the board is to advise the federal government on cannabis-related matters, including policy decisions, amendments or omissions. It also has the authority to issue licences. At the local level, the government is to formulate a national policy governing the cultivation, sale and production of cannabis plants. Licences will be issued for five years under the ordinance.