The Government of Pakistan has approved the license for use of cannabis in Pakistan according to the Federal Minister for Science and Technology. Based on the tweet made by Fawad Chaudhry earlier, the Federal Cabinet has approved the use of cannabis particularly hemp in industrial and medical applications.
The document, seen by Reuters, said the Ministry of Science and Technology sought permission to cultivate industrial hemp after deliberation by the ministries of commerce, narcotics control and national health services.
The minister said the hemp market could generate $1 billion in revenue for Pakistan over the next three years with the development of hemp research, cultivation, production and exports for medical and industrial purposes, the Hindustan Times reported.
Chaudhry said Pakistan plans to grow cannabis with no more than 0.3% THC, the report said, and his ministry has surveyed Pakistan’s Potohar region in northern Punjab as a potential area for cultivation.
“Worldwide, this fiber is replacing cotton,” Chaudhry said. He added that “Pakistan can take a big share in this market.”
“This is under government control, so further research can be done and adequate safeguards through ministry of narcotics can be placed,” he said.
Cannabis herb is widely used for medical and therapeutic purposes. Since cannabis is illegal in much of the world, however, the legal status of cannabis is not always certain either. Despite its use as a remedy but for several medical problems, its use has been based on the individual experiences with no concrete scientific evidence. Its positive effects have been mostly overshadowed by its recreational use worldwide. It recently became the subject of hot discussion thanks to many studies showing its role in varied medical and particularly medicine disorders. These new findings have created an argument and therefore the world remains divided on its legitimation for healthful functions.
Several countries and states have legalized it recently, but many experts have raised concerns about its misuse and long term legal, ethical, financial, and health implications that need to be answered yet. Pakistan is taken into account jointly of the biggest cannabis-producing country and with the increasing proof for potential healthful advantages.
In this blog, we break down the reasons why the legalization of marijuana is highly beneficial to the global economy, both in the short and long terms.
What are the benefits of legalizing cannabis in Pakistan?
Pakistan’s current Prime Minister, Imran Khan, may mark the start of a changing public attitude. He’s openly focused on economic reform and may look to the profit-making potential of cannabis as a way of generating money for the country. And Pakistan officials believe that this is a landmark decision to allow the use of cannabis in Pakistan for medical and industrial purposes and it will place the country in the billion-dollar CBD industry.
This is part of the science ministry’s larger initiative on precision agriculture under which niche projects focused on non-traditional agriculture are under development.
There is one thing, though, that every single country in the world cares about, and that’s money – more specifically, saving money and making more of it. There's a full different facet to legalizing marijuana: political economy. It’s the actuation behind why the legal cannabis market is growing at such a fast rate. In fact, per analysts at Technavio, the legal marijuana market can grow at a formidable CAGR of thirty-seventh by 2020.
Cannabis grows wild throughout Pakistan, significantly within the northern regions. Most of the plants are low in mind-altering drugs. The Anti-Narcotics Force states that cannabis is the most ordinarily used drug within the country. The typical age that individuals 1st use medicine of any kind is eighteen. Alcohol is prohibited for many Muslims living in Pakistan. As such, cannabis is usually used as a recreational difference.
How will the Govt benefit from it?
Tax revenue is maybe the foremost obvious profit that the government has which will be derived by legalizing cannabis. And there are many routes obtainable to tax plants, and each of them would generate substantial revenue, even Olympian revenue generated by tobacco. Government revenue additionally helps offset any prices related to risks to involvement within the marijuana trade.
So, how much India can earn by legal cannabis consumption?
If we apply the tax rates of top cigarette brands on legal cannabis, the Delhi government could earn $101.2 million that amounts to Rs 725 crore annually. While in Mumbai, the government could earn up to $89.38 million or Rs 641 crore. Think about it, cannabis has a far better market than these, and in very less time it can oppose our recent economic graph.
The growing movement in the West to legalize cannabis, with rumblings of constant medical research on cannabis in some universities for many decades, we urge Asian nations to rigorously weigh the risks and advantages of cannabis before blindly following the suit with the West.
Major Job creation
When people think about legalizing cannabis, they tend to focus entirely on its consumption. They forget that, like several different styles of agri-business, producing cannabis needs labour and a full production cycle, from growth to sales.
It’s necessary to form a distinction between legalization and commercialization. Commercialization relates to the business facet of things. The goal of commercialization is to sell the maximum amount of the merchandise, and therefore the cannabis business is steadily growing within the countries. In fact, as the sale of tobacco products has shown signs of a decline in the West, some tobacco companies have also entered the cannabis market.
The legalization of cannabis would not only reduce the costs associated with incarceration, but it would also set a precedent for the overall reform of global legal systems. Further, the money saved could be allocated to other areas such as education and infrastructure, and in countries like the US, China, and Russia, which has the highest imprisonment rates and major socio-economic gaps in their populations, are essential wants.
History of cannabis in Pakistan
Pakistan first banned drugs within the 1980s, under the rule of General Zia ul Haq. It’s believed that he succumbed to pressure from President Reagan in the US, as part of the country’s global ‘war on drugs’. Since then, most politicians have adopted an anti-cannabis stance, with some suggesting that using the drug is against Muslim doctrine.
The enforcement of the law varies considerably from region to region. In some parts of Pakistan (particularly the tribal areas of the north-west, where there are significant cannabis plantations), the laws aren’t frequently enforced. Indeed, some places even sell cannabis in public while not abuse.
The individuals of Pakistan are cultivating and victimising cannabis for hundreds of years. It predates the arrival of the Muslim religion within the country and is documented in sacred Hindu texts. And Sufis often used cannabis in their rituals too, and still do to the present day.
Cannabis updated laws in Pakistan
Now, somehow one can process cannabis use in Pakistan. If you’re caught possessing or using cannabis, only permissible when a license has been issued by the federal government or provincial government (with the federal government’s authorization) and will not be liable to any fine or legal sentences.
Despite this truth, cannabis use is comparatively common within the country. However, it's necessary to say that cannabis isn't being legalized for normal use in Pakistan, and folks can’t simply go and buy it. The license has been granted to form use of it for industrial and medical functions like creating medicines.
Medicinal and industrial cannabis status in Pakistan
For now, there are not any such medical cannabis programs in Pakistan as a result of its recent legalization. This could amendment within the future hopefully and impact positively.
Cannabis growers are rising in Pakistan. Despite this fact, the country does not have much industrial hemp industry. It still relies largely on cotton for its fabric – an industry that was once booming but is now dwindling. According to a report, most of Pakistan’s cotton is now imported from Afghanistan.
Hopefully, now legal cannabis cultivation has been put forward by the media and researchers alike. It would serve to boost the country’s economy, particularly in rural areas. At present, there is a positive indication coming from the government sides and we believe in the future more aspects will be researched by Pakistan and will get to know more good things about cannabis.
The discussion on the possibility of cannabis' additionally provides a foundation for further research. The purpose of the study was to investigate the level of understanding and consumption practices in Pakistan with respondents from different socio-economic backgrounds, age groups, and gender.
Cannabis has been found useful in many neurological and medical disorders. To keep its use judicious and controlled, a framework by the health authorities in collaboration with law agencies should be made so that it might be available when other hopes are lost and its use is justifiable and only under a strict protocol. The three forces scientific knowledge, social and political acceptance, and legislation may help to reach a consensus about its medicinal use.
Our, and as well as public opinion - and that of governments - changes, it seems increasingly likely that other countries will follow, raising questions about how they work together to manage the use and supply of cannabis.
A good awareness campaign may help patients, their families, and societies to make a decision based on evidence and knowledge. Ultimately, the medical cannabis discussion isn't regarding creating it wide obtainable for a broad vary of health conditions however regarding giving a separate number of patients associate them with a choice.
As more and more states move to individually use in various ways, and as the economic benefits of a legal cannabis industry take place, then many compelling reasons to consider nationwide legalization.
Conclusion
With a nationalist government mindful of traditional cultures and strongly betting on ease of doing business, it is time to let go of overzealous, impractical, ineffective policies. Making Cannabis legal can do more good than harm so we at HIMALAYAN HEMP appeal to the Government of India to industrialise cannabis to make a better WORLD. If you are new here, have a look around our website and join our hemp revolution.
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