About Cannabis Cultivation:
- What is cannabis? Cannabis refers to a group of three plants with psychoactive properties, known as Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis.
- Cannabis is made up of more than 120 components, which are known as cannabinoids but experts have a pretty good understanding of two of them, known as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
- The Mexican term ‘marijuana’ is frequently used in referring to cannabis leaves or other crude plant material in many countries.
- The unpollinated female plants are called hashish. Cannabis oil (hashish oil) is a concentrate of cannabinoids obtained by solvent extraction of the crude plant material or of the resin.
- In India farming of cannabis has been legalised in Uttarakhand, and controlled cultivation of cannabis is also being done in some districts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- Legal Provisions in India
- The central law that deals with cannabis (weed or marijuana) in India is the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, of 1985.
- The NDPS Act prohibits the sale and production of cannabis resin and flowers, but the use of leaves and seeds of the cannabis plant is permitted
- The states have the power to regulate and form the state rules for it.
Q1) What are Psychotropic substances?
Psychotropic substances are chemicals that affect the central nervous system, producing changes in mood, perception, behavior, and cognition. They include a wide range of drugs, both legal and illegal, that are used for recreational, medicinal, or spiritual purposes.
Source: Himachal Pradesh considering legalising cannabis cultivation says CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Last updated on January, 2026
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