Key Points:
- The Himachal Pradesh government has announced that it is set to legalize the ‘Commercial Cultivation of Cannabis’.
- Chief Minister of the state, Jai Ram Thakur said that the state government is coming up with a policy to permit controlled cultivation of hemp or cannabis in the state.
- “This creates investment and employment opportunities…” Thakur said.
The Himachal Pradesh government has announced that it is set to legalize the ‘Commercial Cultivation of Cannabis’. The state hopes to earn ₹18,000 crore per annum by undertaking the controlled cultivation of cannabis to ease its debt burden that has grown to ₹60,500 crore in the Covid-19 pandemic year in addition to generating job opportunities.
Himachal Pradesh announced its state budget last week and during the announcement, the Chief Minister of the state, Jai Ram Thakur said that the state government is coming up with a policy to permit controlled cultivation of hemp or cannabis in the state.
Is the cannabis legalization a happy news for general public? Well, no! the state is legalizing its cultivation not for recreation purposes but for non-recreational uses like making medicines and fabrics.
Under a Central statue of The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, in India, the cultivation of hemps in banned. However, the statute includes a provision that allows individual states to “permit and regulate” not only its cultivation, but also its possession, transport, sale, and purchase, among other things, “subject to certain conditions.”
CM Thakur said, “This creates investment and employment opportunities. The state government proposes to frame a policy to permit commercial hemp cultivation with proper regulatory framework,”
The Himachal Pradesh Government is hoping that the decision will attract a rapidly growing hemp industry and generate employment at a time when 57% of the country’s working population are worried that they’ll lose their jobs due to the pandemic-related economic crisis.
Kullu legislator Sunder Singh Thakur, who had been backing that cannabis cultivation be legalised, says “Cannabis extract is used in manufacturing medicines for the treatment of cancer and Alzheimer’s. It will generate employment opportunities.”
Pradeep Chauhan, a retired economic advisor told the state government that, “The state is facing a financial crisis. The controlled cultivation of cannabis will boost the economy as the government aims to earn ₹18,000 crore.” “The initiative will provide employment nearly 50,000 youngsters and directly benefit 2.8 lakh families in the low-income group,” he added.
Cannabis cultivation is done in a controlled manner in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh while Manipur, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are considering it.
