Nepal’s Gandaki province legalizes medical cannabis farming and use
Farmers will need official permission and face monitoring under the new law, which allows cannabis for medical use despite Nepal’s national ban.
- Gandaki Province legalized medical cannabis farming on Monday, allowing cultivation despite Nepal's national ban. Prabin Poudyal, spokesman for the office of the Chief of Gandaki Province, said the bill took effect after provincial endorsement.
- Cannabis is native to Nepal and deeply rooted in Hindu culture. During the annual Shivaratri festival, devotees smoke joints at temples dedicated to the revered god Shiva, reflecting the plant's historical significance.
- Farmers in Gandaki must obtain official permission from the provincial authority and undergo close monitoring to cultivate medical cannabis. This regulatory framework aims to manage production within the region.
- This provincial law contradicts the national ban on farming and possession in place since the late 1970s. That policy shift previously forced out hippies who had flocked to the Himalayan region.
- Anyone possessing marijuana for personal use faces a month in jail, while distribution and sales remain punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment. These penalties underscore the national ban's continued enforcement outside Gandaki.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Associated Press News
Nepal’s Gandaki province legalizes medical cannabis farming and use
A provincial government in Nepal has legalized farming and use of marijuana for medical purposes. The law went into effect Monday after being endorsed by the governor of Gandaki province.
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A provincial government in Nepal legalized the cultivation and use of marijuana for medical purposes despite the national ban.
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