Lawmakers in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh have passed an amendment to the state’s drug law that will allow the production of industrial hemp and medical marijuana.
The state legislature last week adopted a resolution to amend the state Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act (1985), accepting a plan from a legislative committee formed last year to study the potential for cannabis production.
Under the resolution, approved unanimously by state lawmakers, industrial hemp is limited to the production of fiber, grain and cultivation seed. Hemp farmers can either grow the crop independently or engage in contract farming.
Medical cannabis will be strictly managed by the state government, with facilities to be under 24-hour surveillance by CCTV cameras.
The rules specifically exclude “charas,” a popular form of hash produced from marijuana plants.
Other states studied
The legislative committee assigned to study the industry last year made wide-ranging recommendations for the state program.
“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,” said Jagat Singh Negi, Revenue Minister and chairman of the committee.
“We also studied the successful models in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh. The overwhelming consensus was in favor of legalizing it in Himachal Pradesh,” Negi said.
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