The federal government has approved funding for the renovation and operational setup of the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (CCRA) headquarters in Islamabad, following deliberations in the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet.
The authority is set to receive Rs. 100 million to refurbish and adapt the building it has taken over from the former Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies. Officials said the structure requires significant modifications to meet the operational needs of the newly established regulatory body.
Initially, the CCRA had sought Rs. 1 billion for the fiscal year 2025–26, but the Finance Division allocated only Rs. 200 million. Due to funding constraints, the Cabinet Division adjusted its own resources and redirected Rs. 100 million through a Technical Supplementary Grant to support the project.
The ECC approved the proposal, allowing the surrendered funds to be utilized for renovation work and partial operationalization of the headquarters.
The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority has been created under the Cabinet Division to regulate the cultivation, extraction, medical and industrial use, and sale of cannabis in Pakistan. Its headquarters is based in Islamabad.
The body operates under a 13-member board of governors chaired by the Secretary of the Defence Division and includes senior representatives from key federal ministries, provincial governments, law enforcement agencies, intelligence institutions, the Anti-Narcotics Force, and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.
Its mandate includes advising the federal government on cannabis-related policy and issuing licenses for cultivation, production, and industrial applications, with each license valid for up to five years.
