Himachal Pradesh hopes to earn ₹18,000 crore annually by undertaking the controlled cultivation of cannabis to ease its debt burden that has grown to ₹60,500 crore in the Covid-19 pandemic year besides generating job opportunities.
Announcing the decision during the recent budget session of the assembly, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said, “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.”
Himachal Pradesh is not the first state to legalise cannabis cultivation for medicinal purposes and industrial use to boost its economy. Neighbouring Uttarakhand did so in 2017 followed by Madhya Pradesh, another BJP-ruled state. After two decades of debate, the hill state will draw up a policy for the cultivation of cannabis, which is otherwise exploited for making narcotics.
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