(Karachi) Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said that the federal cabinet has approved cultivation and medical use of Hemp which is a variety of Cannabis sativa plant species.

In a tweet on Tuesday, he said that it is a "landmark decision" which will allow Pakistan access to billions of dollar cannabidiol market.

Cabinet has approved first License for @MinistryofST and PCSIR for industrial and medical use of Hemp, landmark decision ll place Pakistan in billions of USD CBD market.....

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) September 1, 2020

He stated, "Cabinet has approved first license for @MinistryofST and PCSIR [Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research] for industrial and medical use of Hemp… [The] landmark decision will place Pakistan in billions of USD CBD market.”

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is derived from cannabis plants, but does not cause users to get high. It focused on young patients with Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. It is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products.