Himachal explores possibility of legalising cannabis cultivation; a team visits Uttarakhand

As the Himachal Pradesh government contemplates legalising the cultivation of cannabis in the State, a team of legislators on Saturday visited neighbouring Uttarakhand to explore the possibility of legal cultivation of cannabis - a report surrounding this would be submitted within two months to the government.

As the Himachal Pradesh government contemplates legalising the growing of cannabis in the State, a team of legislators on Saturday visited neighbouring Uttarakhand to explore the possibility of legal cultivation of the flowering plant.

State’s Revenue and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi, who heads the committee of MLAs constituted to study the possibilities of cannabis cultivation, told The Hindu that the report surrounding all aspects of the same would be submitted to the State government within the next two months.

The Himachal Pradesh government recently formed a five-member committee of MLAs to conduct a thorough study about each aspect related to cannabis cultivation in the State.

“We are studying all aspects to start cultivation of cannabis for industrial and non-narcotic use. We are visiting areas where legal cultivation of cannabis takes place to understand the pros and cons of cannabis cultivation. Today, we visited the Aromatic Plant Centre at Shailakui in Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Within two months, we will submit a report and on that basis, the government will take further decisions,” he said.

Kewal Singh Pathania, a member of the committee, said cannabis cultivation could play a significant role in generating revenue for the hill State. “Cannabis cultivation has been kept under the legal purview in several states of the country. Our neighbour, Uttarakhand has become the first State in the country to legalise cannabis cultivation in the year 2017. This would not only ensure livelihood but also be beneficial for the patients as it has many medicinal properties and can be used for industrial purposes,” he said.

“The committee members also obtained information regarding the state-of-the-art plant nursery, cultivation of medicinal plants, and aromatic flowers at the centre. Also, we deliberated on the draft prepared by the plant centre to legalise the cannabis cultivation. We are also seeking information about the experiences of farmers of Uttarakhand cultivating cannabis as well,” Mr. Negi added.