Indopedia All Things Marijuana
A private member’s bill to legalize marijuana in India will be introduced to Parliament during the winter session this year, after clearing the legislative branch of government on Nov. 1.
MP Dharamvira Gandhi, the politician behind the bill, is a retired cardiologist and longtime supporter of both the decriminalization and legalization of cannabis.
Gandhi has argued that India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 (NDPS) did not yield its intended results, as the demand for drugs remains the same. This bill is intended to alter how India handles the issue by eliminating criminal penalties and regulating a legal cannabis market for medical and recreational use.
Gandhi’s bill seeks to differentiate between hard and soft drugs to create a legal landscape for the latter of the two. He has also been a vocal supporter of medical cannabis for many years.
“The 30 years’ period of enactment and implementation of NDPS Act has produced results contrary to the desired results,” said Gandhi in November.
“Thirty years down the line, where do we stand? The fact of the matter is that the NDPS Act has not only failed in achieving its professed goals,…
