The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Sukhwinder Singh Sugu, is reportedly contemplating legalizing cannabis cultivation. He stated that cannabis cultivation would boost state revenue and that the plant has medicinal and industrial benefits. However, the government is also aware that cannabis cultivation may increase drug use and has therefore appointed a committee comprising of five MLAs to investigate the matter. The committee will conduct a thorough study and visit areas where cannabis is grown illegally before submitting a report to the government within a month. Many states and countries have already legalized cannabis cultivation, and the state government will consider all aspects before making a final decision. The procedures followed by these states will also be studied.
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sugu has said that he is considering legalizing cannabis cultivation.
In this regard, he said in the capital Shimla: “Ganja cultivation will increase the revenue of the state significantly. Besides, it is beneficial for patients as it has medicinal properties. It can also be used for industrial purposes. At the same time, the state government is cautious because if cannabis cultivation is allowed it will increase drug use. The state government wants to deal with the matter, so the state government has constituted a committee of 5 MLAs to look into the matter.
This committee will conduct a thorough study of all aspects related to cannabis cultivation. The team will also visit areas where cannabis is grown illegally. The committee will submit its report to the government within a month. The state government will take a decision based on the report.
Cannabis cultivation has been legalized in many states. For the first time in the country, the Uttarakhand government legalized the cultivation of cannabis in 2017. Cannabis is cultivated under conditions in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh and in some districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Cannabis cultivation is also allowed under conditions in countries like USA, Canada, Austria, Uruguay, Belgium, Czech Republic. Therefore, the state government will consider all aspects before taking a final decision. Also, the procedures followed by the states that have legalized cannabis cultivation will also be studied,” said Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sugu.