By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (CCRA) on Wednesday hosted a high-level engagement and policy briefing for a distinguished delegation of tribal elders, Masharan, Maliks, and community representatives from Tirah Valley at the CCRA Headquarters, Islamabad, aimed at bringing traditional cannabis cultivation under a formal legal, regulated, and economically beneficial framework.
The delegation was warmly received by the Director General, Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority, Major General (Retd.) Zafar Ullah Khan, HI(M), accompanied by senior officials of the CCRA.
Addressing the gathering, the DG stated that the National Cannabis Policy was the culmination of nearly one and a half years of painstaking efforts, extensive deliberations, institutional coordination, and alignment with Pakistan’s international obligations and national economic priorities.
He emphasized that the policy seeks to transform a historically unregulated sector into a transparent, lawful, and economically productive industry capable of benefitting local communities as well as the national economy.
The DG informed the delegation that under the newly introduced licensing regime/Framework, tribal growers would receive legal protection, direct market access, transparent pricing mechanisms, and freedom from exploitative middlemen.
He assured the participants that the policy had been designed to safeguard the rights of cultivators while ensuring full transparency and regulatory oversight.
“The crop which remained associated with illegality for decades can now become a source of dignity, prosperity, and lawful economic empowerment for the people of Tirah Valley,” the DG remarked.
“The objective of the State is not suppression, but integration of local communities into a regulated economic framework.”
The DG further highlighted that the policy is exclusively focused on medicinal and industrial applications of cannabis and hemp, including pharmaceutical extracts, pain management therapies, epilepsy-related medicines, industrial hemp fibre, textiles, and other value-added products with substantial international demand.
The briefing also underscored the Government’s broader developmental vision, including reinvestment of sectoral revenues into education, healthcare, infrastructure, and public welfare initiatives in tribal regions.
During the interaction, members of the delegation appreciated the efforts of the CCRA leadership and extended a warm invitation to the DG and senior officers of the Authority to visit Tirah Valley for continued engagement with local communities and growers.
The DG acknowledged the invitation positively and reiterated the Authority’s commitment to sustained consultation and field engagement.
The delegation raised certain reservations and concerns pertaining to growers’ rights, pricing mechanisms, transparency, and protection of local cultivators.
In response, the DG assured the participants that their concerns would be addressed through institutional safeguards and a transparent regulatory mechanism.
In this regard, the CCRA and the tribal delegation mutually agreed upon the establishment of a joint consultative committee aimed at safeguarding the rights and interests of Tirah Valley growers and ensuring continuous coordination between the Authority and local stakeholders.
The delegation also strongly urged that outside entities should not be permitted to displace or undermine local cultivators in Tirah Valley.
Responding to the concern, the DG clarified that the National Cannabis Policy already incorporates provisions relating to cluster licensing and group farming models, specifically designed to protect and prioritize local communities and growers within their respective regions.
The DG further emphasized that the digital licensing regime introduced by the Authority would ensure transparency, merit-based approvals, and elimination of corruption or unofficial influence.
Applications, he stated, would be processed within defined timelines without the requirement of intermediaries or personal connections.
The engagement concluded on a highly positive note, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to lawful cultivation, economic uplift, regional stability, and long-term cooperation between the State and the people of Tirah Valley.
“This is not merely an agricultural initiative,” the DG stated in his concluding remarks, “rather it is a strategic opportunity to transform livelihoods, strengthen the State-community relationship, and convert untapped potential into lawful national prosperity.”
