The government has formed a working group under the coordination of the Ministry of Home Affairs to carry out a feasibility study of marijuana cultivation in the country.
In a meeting held on Monday at the Ministry of Finance under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, a working group was formed under the coordination of the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs including the Joint Secretaries of the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministries of Finance, Industry, Law, Foreign Affairs and the representative Nepal Police, with Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture as the Member-Secretary.
On the occasion, Finance Minister Mahat instructed the task force to submit its report within one month. This task force has been given two mandates including to research how marijuana can be used as medicine and the possibility of industrialization. The task force will also study the possibility of making clothes from hemp stems, leaves and fibers.
It may be noted that the budget estimates of the government for the current financial year had mentioned to carry out study of the possibility of marijuana cultivation.