Apple country gets ground ready for cannabis cultivation

Source: The post is based on the article “Apple country gets ground ready for cannabis cultivation”  published in The Hindu on 11th September 2023

What is the News?

Himachal Pradesh government is taking steps to legalize cannabis (hemp) cultivation in the State.

What is Hemp?

Hemp is a botanical class of Cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. 

It is produced in parts of Himachal Pradesh though it is illegal under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

What does the NDPS act say on Cannabis Cultivation?

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 prohibits the sale and production of cannabis resin and flowers.

But Section 10 of the Act empowers the States to make rules regarding the cultivation of any cannabis plant, production, possession, transport, consumption, use and purchase and sale, and consumption of cannabis (except charas). 

The States are empowered to permit, by general or special order, the cultivation of hemp only for obtaining fiber or seeds or for horticultural purposes.

In 2017, Uttarakhand became the first State in the country to legalize cannabis cultivation.

What is the Himachal Pradesh Government planning on Cannabis?

Himachal Pradesh government is taking steps to legalize cannabis (hemp) cultivation in the State.

Government sees this move as a way to utilize cannabis’s medicinal properties, generate revenue, and support farmers who have long requested the ban on cultivation be lifted.

However, some experts and activists are concerned about the potential negative effects, including increased drug abuse, the nexus between illegal cannabis producers and politicians, and the need to address social, economic, and political factors.

But supporters argue that hemp has various uses, including phytoremediation, cloth manufacturing, medicinal applications and the pulp and paper industry.