In the wake of popular demand for cultivation of cannabis in the Himalayan state, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal Pradesh government approved a pilot project for cannabis or hemp cultivation on January 24.
This move comes amid rising global recognition of hemp’s agricultural, medicinal and industrial value.
According to the state cabinet, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University in Palampur and Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture in Nauni, Solan, will collaborate on a study which will evaluate the potential for cannabis cultivation in the future. The state’s agriculture department has been designated as the nodal agency for this initiative.
With this decision, Himachal Pradesh becomes one of the states, along with Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Manipur, to grant controlled permission for the cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes.
Cannabis is a naturally occurring weed found throughout Himachal Pradesh, yet its cultivation had been banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Unlike opium, there has been no official policy to regulate its legal cultivation in India.
However, before the tightening of restrictions in 2000, cannabis farming was a common practice in the state. Despite the ban, illegal cultivation continues in several districts.
Sant Ram, former village head of Khalwahan in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district and president of the Rural Labourers' Organisation, told Down to Earth that the international liquor lobby played a role in vilifying cannabis, leading to its inclusion in the NDPS Act.
He recalls that, when he was village head in 2000, police destroyed about 80 per cent of cannabis crops in his village and surrounding areas, creating widespread fear among farmers.
Ram stressed that cannabis was unfairly linked to narcotic use, resulting in the destruction of livelihoods in rural communities. He highlighted that beyond its psychoactive properties, cannabis has numerous uses, with economic value in all parts of the plant.
According to the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in Lucknow, cannabis is commonly grown for its fibre, seeds, biomass, and other dual-purpose crops. The global cannabis market consists of over 25,000 products, with cannabis gaining recognition worldwide for its medicinal and industrial potential. Countries like Canada, the United States, Japan, France, Italy, Hungary, China, Denmark, and Australia are leaders in cannabis farming and its processing.
NBRI estimates that cannabis is now considered a “trillion-dollar crop,” with over 100 cannabinoids present in the plant, including THC and CBD. While THC is psychoactive, CBD is non-psychoactive.
Meanwhile, Sant Ram believes that the focus should shift from treating cannabis as a narcotic to promoting its industrial and medicinal uses, as it is integral to rural economies.
For years, local advocates like Ram have campaigned for the revival of cannabis farming, but their calls have largely been ignored by the government. Proposals to allow its cultivation were passed in the state legislature, but little action followed.
Guman Singh, coordinator of the Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, expressed that the cabinet’s recent decision was influenced by pressure from industrialists. Singh pointed out that locally grown cannabis seeds, known as "Bijo," were traditionally used for fibre and culinary purposes until the mid-1990s. The use of cannabis for recreational purposes only began to increase as tourism grew in the state.
Singh argued that the same European and American powers that pushed for the NDPS Act have now legalised cannabis farming in their own countries. He criticised the persistent misconceptions about cannabis in India, highlighting the country’s long history of cannabis consumption. Singh called for legal recognition of cannabis and suggested that its use for recreational purposes be carefully regulated.
While acknowledging that the decision was made under industrial pressure, Sant Ram welcomed the pilot project, but urged that local cannabis seeds be preserved due to their significant cultural and economic value.
The state of Himachal Pradesh now faces a delicate balancing act as it explores the potential benefits of cannabis farming while addressing concerns over its historical, cultural, and economic impact on rural communities.