Cultivation of cannabis may soon get legal status in Himachal Pradesh and for this a committee of MLAs has been constituted to examine it and will present a report within a month.
On the suggestion of the Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the State Assembly on Thursday announced to constitute a committee of legislators on this issue.
Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania constituted a committee after discussion on the resolution brought under Rule 101 by MLA Purna Chand Thakur to legalise the cultivation of cannabis on the lines of other states in the public interest in view of the medicinal properties of cannabis.
This committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Horticulture and Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and MLA Hans Raj, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sundar Thakur, MLA Purna Thakur and Dr. Janak Raj will be the members of this committee.
The Assembly speaker said that this committee will submit its report within a month.
Earlier, replying to the discussion on the resolution, the state chief minister said the state government would consider enacting a law after getting complete information on the use of cannabis leaves and seeds.
He had recommended forming a committee, which was accepted by the Speaker. The chief minister said the committee would submit a report within a month on the medicinal properties of cannabis and its use and misuse.
Before giving the report, the committee will visit the areas where illegal cultivation of cannabis takes place on a large scale, he maintained.
The chief minister pointed out that the Central government has given legal status to the cultivation of cannabis in some districts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Apart from this, cannabis is also being cultivated in Uttarakhand for industrial use, he said, adding that under the NDPS Act, the state has been given the right to cultivate cannabis and to transport it.
The chief minister said that if cannabis really has good medicinal properties, then through the committee, the government can understand it better and further take a decision.
Earlier presenting the resolution, MLA Puran Chand Thakur said that if the government gives legal status to cannabis cultivation, it will improve the economy in rural areas and the income of the state government will also increase.
Cannabis is used in medicines and many products are also prepared from it, he said, adding that when many states can give it a legal status then Himachal should also consider it.