High time? Decks cleared to legalise cultivation of cannabis in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla: Nearly seven years have passed since Uttarakhand became the first Indian state to legalise the cultivation of cannabis, setting a precedent for others to follow.

Now, Himachal Pradesh, a hill state facing financial constraints, is taking a bold step towards reform to lift its longstanding ban on cannabis cultivation.

The ban had been enforced because of an increased drug problem and trafficking of narcotics including charas, a by-product of Cannabis from the state.

However, faced with resource crunch, Himachal is moving towards allowing cannabis cultivation for specific purposes.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu says the state will earn a revenue of Rs 400 to 500 crore once the facility for industrial and medical use is fully created in the state.

There is complete consensus between the ruling party and Opposition to allow cultivation of the non-narcotic forms of cannabis under strict regulatory measures.

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly last week took a significant step by passing a resolution that accepts and approves the report of a committee chaired by Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi.

The committee’s recommendations advocate for the controlled cultivation of cannabis. This resolution marks a transformative shift in the state’s approach to cannabis, opening the door to its use in various sectors and potentially boosting local economies through new industry opportunities.

The committee, however, suggested a strict regulatory mechanism to only permit use of the cannabis, its seed and fibre, for non-narcotic purposes.

This will, the committee feels, will help the state in generating revenue and helping the farmers to tap an unexploited potential of the cannabis in the state, earlier grown legally in Kullu and other districts.

Every year, the police and excise department used to destroy several hectares of cannabis to check illegal drug smuggling, primarily charas.

Malana – a high altitude landlocked valley in the Kullu district – has become quite infamous for supplying internationally-known best quality of charas called “Malana cream”.

Dealing with the issue, the committee, set up by the government last year, has examined the issue of legalising the cultivation of cannabis/hemp in the state for medicinal, scientific, and industrial purposes, as provided under the Sections 10 and 14 of the NDPS Act 1985, read with Rule 29 of the Himachal Pradesh NDPS Rules 1989.

Revenue Minister tabled the report in the Assembly on Friday along with major recommendations proposing legalisation of its cultivation.

The committee was of the view that the state’s Agriculture department along with research and development experts and state’s universities, including HP Agriculture University and Dr YS Parmar horticulture university, will develop seed banks for cannabis cultivation.

The staff of the excise department will be trained and given the task of carrying out the responsibilities of handling cannabis cultivation.