Cannabis cultivation

Considering to legalise cannabis cultivation, the Himachal Pradesh government has formed a committee that will look into its pros and cons. This thinking stems from the traditional production and use of ganja or bhang for recreational purposes. Also, the weed is well-known for its effective medicinal properties. Hemp is also used industrially to make fabric, ropes and shoes. Growing this grass on barren tracts of land would make it a profitable proposition for the farmers, besides generating jobs and revenue for HP. The argument that since people are cultivating and using it anyway, it is better that it is done legally holds good as it would keep them away from the crosshairs of the law and, at the same time, fill the state’s coffers.

At the heart of the matter is the long-brewing tussle between culture and policing over the recreational use of organic substances. Taking cannabis out of the purview of the harsh Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, entails the risk of a spike in the number of people accessing it. Studies around the world where marijuana has been legalised — such as many states in the US and Mexico — point to a sharp rise in the number of youth consuming pot. Its detrimental effect on the consumers’ health, including physical, mental or developmental impairments related to pot, is worrisome. More so is the likelihood of cannabis becoming the gateway drug to the more dangerous synthetic ones like the deadly and addictive heroin. Policymakers will have to take utmost care to ensure that its ill effects are widely and regularly propagated, especially in schools and colleges.

If HP green-lights cannabis cultivation, it will join the club of states that have climbed down from taking a draconian stand on the matter. While cannabis farming has been legalised in Uttarakhand, bhang was removed from the list of intoxicating drugs in Gujarat; UP and MP have similar policies. This posture also aligns with the one that India took in the UN in 2020 when it joined the majority of the countries in batting for the exclusion of marijuana from the category of most dangerous synthetic drugs.