Push to undo hash ban in Nepal

While the recreational use of marijuana is controversial, the case for legalising its medical use is strong
Nepali Times (Nepal)
Friday, April 14, 2017

nepal cannabisMarijuana use was always culturally accepted in Nepal, and the cannabis indica plant grows wild across the country. Open sale of marijuana in government regulated shops drew tens of thousands of hippies to Nepal in the 1960s. In 1976, largely under pressure from the American government, which was worried about its young citizens becoming addicts, Nepal banned the use and sale of marijuana. Many in western Nepal, where the cannabis plant is used for everything from therapeutic oil to making chutney, lost their sole source of income. The ban sent the cultivation and trade of the cash crop underground and turned farmers into criminals.