After Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, the state of Himachal Pradesh is planning to legalize the cultivation of cannabis in the region. The state hopes to earn revenue from the cultivation to ease its debt burden.
Announcing the state budget last week, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur said that the state government is forming a policy to allow controlled cultivation of cannabis in the state.
“The cannabis produced in the state is of high quality and there is potential to undertake its controlled cultivation. Under the NDPS Act, 1985, there are provisions for the cultivation, production, maintenance and transportation of cannabis,” said the CM Jai Ram Thakur.
Himachal Pradesh will be the first state to legalise cannabis cultivation for medicinal purposes and industrial use to boost its economy. Industrial hemp is a variety of Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown for industrial use to make various products.
Jai Ram Thakur said, “Earlier they used to consume a dish prepared from cannabis during winter to keep themselves warm and energetic. Himachal produces top-quality cannabis, the seeds of the plant can be used to make paint, biofuel, and ink. The prospect of a flourishing hemp industry, which can boost the state economically, has prompted Himachal to go for hemp cultivation.”
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