Shimla:

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Friday passed a significant resolution to legalise cannabis cultivation, following the recommendations of an Assembly committee report.

The committee proposed the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes, highlighting its potential as an economic asset for the state.

Jagat Singh Negi, Revenue Minister and chair of the Assembly committee, spoke in detail about the report and the potential benefits of cannabis cultivation. He noted that the idea was initially raised in the Assembly under Rule 130, with support from both the ruling and opposition parties. A committee was formed to explore the subject, and Jagat Singh Negi was appointed its chairman.

“The committee visited all the districts of Himachal Pradesh and consulted local residents on how cannabis cultivation could be used for medicinal and industrial purposes. We also studied the successful models in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh. The overwhelming consensus was in favour of legalising it in Himachal Pradesh,” Jagat Singh Negi said.

Jagat Singh Negi emphasised the practicality of cannabis cultivation, explaining that the plant does not require much water, is resistant to animal damage, and is largely free of diseases. “It has great potential for both industrial and medicinal use. The industrial hemp plant will be drug-free, with negligible levels of THC, while the medicinal variety will be tightly controlled, similar to opium cultivation under the NDPS Act,” Jagat Singh Negi added.

He further noted that industrial cannabis farming would not require extensive land, especially in areas where traditional crops are not feasible due to water shortages or animal interference. “Investors are interested in industrial hemp, and we will ensure strict regulations to manage medicinal cannabis cultivation, following controlled protocols to prevent misuse.”

During the Budget Session of 2023, the Assembly had discussed the possibility of legalising cannabis cultivation. In response, a panel of MLAs from both sides, led by Jagat Singh Negi, was formed to examine the feasibility of this move. The panel’s findings, based on visits to other states and interactions with local stakeholders, were presented to the House.

The resolution, now adopted, is a major step towards legalising cannabis cultivation in the state. “This initiative is not about encouraging drug use, but about harnessing cannabis for industrial and medicinal purposes in a regulated, beneficial manner,” Jagat Singh Negi added further.

The assembly of Himachal Pradesh during the Budget session early last year had appointed a panel to study the legal industrial and medicinal cultivation of hemp in the state. The panel is headed by the horticulture, revenue and tribal development Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Chief parliamentary secretary Sundar Singh Thakur, and legislators Janak Raj, Hansraj and Puran Chand are other members of the committee.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)