Goemkarponn Desk
PORVORIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has assured the state legislative assembly that government will not be going ahead with the cannabis plantation project.
“Govt not to go ahead with the proposal to legalize cannabis cultivation in the State,” assured CM
He further said that the proposed amendment by the Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration, the Department of Excise shall regulate and control the cultivation of cannabis plant for medicinal or scientific use. Accordingly, based on the above proposal from the Office of Commissioner for Excise, the draft amendment the Rules of Goa Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Rules, 1987 has been proposed for cultivation of cannabis plant for medicinal or scientific use only.
The Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu is a National Institute under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR) of the Government of India with primary focus on new drug discovery from natural products. Requests have been received from large number of hospitals from all over the country where clinicians need cannabis based botanical drugs for validating the medical claims of curing chronic pain in cancer, neuropathic pain and epilepsy and spasticity in children and adult patients with multiple sclerosis.
CSIR-IIM has requisite permissions from J&K Government and State Excise Department to cultivate cannabis for R&D purposes as well as conduct various R&D activities on it with a view to find cannabis based drugs to cure various forms of illness. Cannabis has shown to have great promise in the field of medicine, especially for serious or life threatening diseases and conditions.A substantial amount of scientific literature exists which makes a strong case for use of cannabis for medical purposes. Section 10(2)(c) of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 read with Section 8, states that the State Government shall have the powers to permit and regulate Cannabis within the concerned State.
Presently, Government of Uttarakhand has granted the permission for cultivation of cannabis only for industrial purpose. Farmers will have to get a licence by the Excise department to grow cannabis. Besides, J&K Government has permission to cultivate cannabis for R&D purposes as well as conduct various R&D activities on i
