SHIMLA: A five-member committee has been set up in Himachal Pradesh to study the issue of legalising cannabis cultivation, and it would submit a report within a month.
The committee of MLAs was set up by Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on the advice of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
The Committee, headed by Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, would have chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS) Sunder Singh, and three other MLAs -- Hans Raj, Puran Chand Thakur and Janak Raj -- as members.
The committee would submit its report on use, misuse and other aspects of cannabis cultivation within one month.
The decision to constitute the committee was taken after a discussion on a resolution moved by Puran Chand Thakur (BJP).
Replying to the discussion, Sukhu said the government would take an appropriate decision after getting full information on the medicinal use of leaves and seeds of cannabis.
The committee would visit the places where illegal cultivation of cannabis is rampant before submitting its report, Sukhu said, adding the Union government has permitted cultivation of cannabis in some districts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Cannabis cultivation is being done in Uttarakhand also, he said.
Earlier, moving the resolution, Puran Chand Thakur said that legalising cannabis cultivation would improve the economy of rural areas and also increase the revenue of the state.
Sunder Singh Thakur(Congress) said that the demand for legalising cannabis cultivation had been made in the past also and permission should be granted for cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes.