Pakistan has the world’s most fascinating sites to visit, particularly at its best in northern regions of Pakistan and Kashmir territory. This portion of the nation is famous globally because of sky-high peaks, lush green valleys, majestic rivers, gorgeous lakes & exotic wildlife. So, if you ever visit this country during the holidays and you crave for smoking weed sitting on the top of the peak, you need to buy quality cannabis in Pakistan.
Here, in this article, we’ve gathered all the information for you to know before purchasing cannabis seeds in Pakistan. The article consists of details regarding the history of the two, laws and penalties, cultivation, etc.
Let’s open the pages of history to know how people used cannabis in the past!
Cannabis And History Of Pakistan
Contents
The relationship between Pakistan and maryjane is biblical. People use cannabis widely in Pakistan. People inhale it as charas (hashish) or use it as a drink as bhang.
The residents of Pakistan have been growing and using marijuana for ages. It predates the advent of the Muslim belief in the nation. You can also find the reference in religious Hindu texts. These scripts mainly focus on its therapeutic benefits and its use in sacred rituals.
Sufis frequently used cannabis in their customs too, and still do to this day. At the 1,400-year-old Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mausoleum, travelers regularly visit to pay tribute to Karachi’s patron sage, and the scent of weed is pervasive.
Pakistan was also familiar with backpackers in the 1960s and 1970s, who used marijuana as part of their ‘hippy’ lifestyle. Through this time, the legendary hashish businesses of Peshawar were established.
The 1980s prohibition made cannabis illegal, but many Pakistani citizens continue to use it. Thus, cannabis always has a special place in the history of Pakistan.
Marijuana Laws In Pakistan
The legitimacy of ungerminated cannabis seeds in Pakistan is a part of a gray area. The Control of Narcotic Substances Act 404 does not define marijuana seeds as illegal things, but it doesn’t register them as a legal exemption, either.
If the police find you possessing cannabis seeds in Pakistan, they can use this as a valid reason to search you or your house for illegal cultivation of cannabis plants, so it is smart to be very careful with cannabis seeds in Pakistan.
Can You Possess And Consume Cannabis In Pakistan?
Possession of marijuana is illegal in Pakistan.
If the police find you owning or using cannabis, the jurisdiction will order a fine or jail sentence. Despite this fact, marijuana usage is very common in the realm.
The implementation of the law differs considerably from district to district. In some parts of Pakistan, especially the tribal regions of the north-west, where there are notable cannabis plantations, the laws aren’t usually executed. Indeed, some areas even sell marijuana openly without permission.
Other sections of the country adopt a more stringent way. For instance, if the policemen catch you with cannabis in Islamabad, you may be confined to jail punishment between six months and two years.
According to the Anti-Narcotics Force, although there is a strict approach towards cannabis, it is the most commonly used illegal drug in Pakistan.
Is Growing Weed Allowed In Pakistan?
The Control of Narcotic Substances Act declares that “No one shall cultivate any cannabis plant.” Violating this order means the authority can order “imprisonment, which may extend to seven years, or with a fine, or with both.”
The Pakistan government allows the cultivation of “narcotic plants” for “medical, scientific or industrial purposes.” It is only lawful when the federal government or provincial government, with the federal government’s authorization, issues a license.
In fact, people grow marijuana widely across the land. Pakistan is one of the world’s biggest cannabis producers. Also, the plant breeds wild in many areas of Pakistan.
Residents cultivate most of the cannabis in the north-west of the country, in the federally regulated Tribal Areas. This rich, hilly region is perfect for both cultivating weed and opium poppy. The most famous part of this area is the Tirah valley.
Let’s learn more about it!
Tirah Valley – Heaven for Cannabis Cultivation
One of the primary reasons after the awe-inspiring variety of cannabis genotypes is the truth that people brought almost all the domesticated species here either from Peshawar, Chitral or mainly from Afghanistan.
With its warm weather and rain in the evenings, the plants flourish, and it’s not unusual to see them get as tall as 15 feet high!
Jamrud, which is a small village by the Khyber Pass, has approximately 250 currently-operational cannabis stores.
The Afridi tribe is among one of the many tribes residing there but definitely the most prominent tribes to grow and produce high-quality resin from the canyon. As per the Afridi tribe, a Sufi from India brought the cannabis plant to Tirah Valley 100’s years ago. Since then, they are farming it.
What Are The Rules For Medical Marijuana And CBD?
There are no medical marijuana programs in place in Pakistan. That suggests that all forms of marijuana were illegal.
Recently, on September 1, 2020, Fawad Chaudhary announced on Twitter stating that Cabinet has granted the first permit for the MinistryofST and PCSIR for industrial and medical use of hemp.
As the statement is for hemp, it is a term used to distinguish varieties of cannabis that contain 0.3% or less THC content (by dry weight).
Questers from Shifa International Hospital and Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University recently issued a paper in the Pakistan Journal of Neurological Science, featuring the benefits of cannabis-derived products for medical objectives.
According to the statement of Chaudhary, the CBD compound plays a vital role in therapeutic medicine. The plant Pakistan plans to establish contains legal levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — around 0.3 percent or below. He further states that,
It is a remarkable decision that will help Pakistan enter the billion-dollar Cannabidiol (CBD) market.
Selling And Buying Cannabis In Pakistan: Legal Or Illegal?
The Control of Narcotic Substances Act declares that it is ILLEGAL to sell or buy cannabis in Pakistan.
If the quantity of cannabis is between 100 grams and a kilogram, the jail sentence rises to seven years with a penalty too. If a person tries to sell cannabis over a kilogram, the offender might get life imprisonment or the death penalty. Moreover, the offender may have to pay a fine of up to one million rupees.
The Anti-Narcotics Force typically adopts a four-stage approach.
- Tracing – finding the sources, movement, or ownership of the assets
- Freezing – under the Special Court order, excluding, transferring or disposing of the assets
- Forfeiture – abandoning the asset in favor of the Federal Government
- Realization – the assets are realized in favor of the Federal Government
Since cannabis seeds have not been clearly specified as illegal to buy, sell, or possess in Pakistan, some international seed banks can ship there. However, they have not been marked as legal, either.
Possession of weed seeds may draw unwanted attention from lawsuits, so we recommend you to order and store them as discreetly as possible.
There are few legal marijuana seed banks available in the market, such as Crop King Seeds and MSNL. With a discreet shipping service available in both of these, your cannabis seeds will arrive safely to your doors.
Pakistan Origin Cannabis Strains
Many of the marijuana strains available in the market today have origins in the Kush region in Pakistan. This mountain region offers suitable conditions for producing potent cannabis.
The cannabis that people grow in this region has a unique appearance. It is usually purple-grey in color and sometimes extends to an unusually tall height. However, the features vary strain by strain.
Kush is a remarkable species of marijuana that descends from the Hindu Kush mountain ranges. This mountain area crosses the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and is one of the few geographic regions where people grow cannabis for long.
Among strain growers, Kush families are popular competitors for backcrossing and, in turn, stabilizing crossed genetics.
Top 5 Most Popular Kush Cannabis Strains
OG Kush
| THC | 19-22% |
| CBD | <1% |
| Flowering Time | 10-12 Weeks |
| Harvest | 400-500 g/m2 |
| Cultivation | Indoor / Outdoor |
Bubba Kush
| THC | 17.79% |
| CBD | 1.20% |
| Flowering Time | 9 Weeks |
| Harvest | 300g to 500g |
| Cultivation | Indoor / Outdoor |
Hindu Kush
| THC | 15%-18% |
| CBD | <1% |
| Flowering Time | 8-10 Weeks |
| Harvest | 400g to 500g |
| Cultivation | Indoor / Outdoor |
Pakistani Chitral Kush
| THC | Medium |
| CBD | Low to Medium |
| Flowering Time | 8 to 9 Weeks |
| Harvest | Medium |
| Cultivation | Indoor / Outdoor |
TNT Kush
| THC | 18-22% |
| CBD | Low |
| Flowering Time | 7-8 Weeks |
| Harvest | Medium to High |
| Cultivation | Indoor / Outdoor |
Hash Production In Pakistan
There are many ways Pakistani hash farmers apply to make their hash products.
In most cases, they thresh the dried plants over a thin woven cloth. It departs the ‘garda‘ (dried resin) from the rest of the plant material.
Some contaminants, such as ghee or henna, may be included at this step to gain the weight and the fragrance.
Secondly, the more conventional method places the garda into a goatskin, where people store it for several months. The skin’s subdermal fat allows the bonding process, turning the garda into a sticky, green-brown piece.
Pakistani cannabis producers claim that keeping the garda in the skin for a longer time enhances the final product’s quality.
Prominently, in the tribal areas, some breeders let the snow cover the cannabis plants. This changes the green buds red, and locals consider it provides more potent hashish.
Industrial Hemp In Pakistan
Wild hemp growth is typical in Pakistan. Despite this fact, the nation does not have any industrial hemp business. It still depends mainly on cotton for its fabric, which was once flourishing but is now decreasing.
A report stated that Afghanistan exports most of the cotton in Pakistan. The hemp project is a part of the larger initiative of Science Ministry on accuracy farming.
According to the recent statement by the minister, the fiber is replacing cotton worldwide. Clothes, bags, and other textile goods are being made using this plant’s fiber. It is a $25 billion market, and Pakistan can take a significant share in this market.
He also added that the plant is under government control so that further research can be done. They can also place adequate safeguards through the ministry of narcotics.
Cannabis And Politics In Pakistan
Under the ruling of General Zia ul Haq, Pakistan first banned drugs in the 1980s. Experts believed that he surrendered to pressure from President Reagan in the US, as part of the global ‘war on drugs’ of the country.
Since then, most legislators have embraced an anti-cannabis stand, with some proposing that using the drug is against Muslim tradition.
Imran Khan, the current Prime Minister of the country, indicates the beginning of changing public opinion. He is entirely concentrated on economic betterment and looking forward to making the profit-making potential of cannabis to generate money for the nation.
However, he might face protests from other partisans such as Shahbaz Sharif (Pakistan Muslim League).
Cannabis In The Culture Of Pakistan
Recreational cannabis usage is also comparatively popular. Many people speak openly about smoking or consuming it regularly. In opposition, the government disapproves of the consumption of liquor.
Many religious societies in Pakistan use marijuana, such as the Sufis and the Hindus, who puff it to obtain spiritual enlightenment.
In most cases, the Pakistani police don’t arrest them, even though it’s illegal. In extension to being smoked often in a ‘chillum,’ people consume weed in bhang, a yogurt-like beverage connected with the Hindu lord Shiva. According to mythological stories, he initiated the tradition of smoking weed.
People from all courses of life use marijuana in Pakistan, from government administrators to commoners. In much of north-west Pakistan, a region that has undergone and left many people in debt due to war, weed is readily accessible. Many Pakistani teens use it to cope with their stressful living situations.
In Karachi, the religious hash-smoking customs at Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mausoleum date back to the year 773. The fragrance of marijuana often permeates the air near the mausoleum.
Police are reportedly more responsive to taking bribes from weed users in Karachi. It’s even familiar for taxi drivers to carry a stash of hashish in their carrier and offer to bundle some in with your fare.
Cannabis And Sufi Culture
Not everyone in the nation shares this opinion. Other Islamic sects see the Sufi belief as sinful, which has made the spiritual group a target. In the past, the Taliban militants and extremists, such as the Islamic State group, attacked Sufi shrines.
Future Of Marijuana In Pakistan
Marijuana is firmly entrenched in Pakistani culture. The experts have assumed that the law will ultimately change, particularly with industrial hemp and medical marijuana production.
However, some Muslims see cannabis usage against the guidance of the Quran. Others think it is an excellent recreational activity.
Pakistan has allowed the domestication and commercialization of medicinal and industrial marijuana and hemp at a Herbal Medicine Park in Jhelum.
Fawad Chaudhry, minister for science and technology, tweeted on this and said the following:
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
The minister assumed the hemp market to make $1 billion in revenue for Pakistan in the next three years when research, cultivation, production, and exports for medical and industrial objectives are initiated.
The ministry has also started scouted fields in the Potohar region in northern Punjab, which the experts considered sufficient enough for producing hemp due to its weather.
Although, it is important to remember that the Pakistan government has not legalized cannabis for regular use in Pakistan. People can’t just come out of the houses and buy it. The authorities have issued a license to use it for industrial and medical plans, such as making medicines.
To conclude, we can say that as a result of the new plan, Pakistan will surely on the path to come in the world of marijuana soon.
