Nepal Expected To Approve Researching Medical Cannabis Benefits

Nepal has one of the richest histories on earth when it comes to cannabis. The cannabis plant is used for spiritual purposes in the Southeast Asian nation, and that’s been true for centuries.

Some of the oldest cannabis strains on earth originated in Nepal and are still cultivated there to this day. Countless hybrid cannabis strains around the globe have a lineage that traces back to cannabis strains in Nepal.

Unfortunately, cannabis is illegal in Nepal and that has been the case since 1976. Cannabis is even illegal in Nepal for medical purposes. Fortunately, government officials are expected to take a small, yet significant step to improve the situation. Per Nepal Republic Media:

The Ministry of Health and Population is preparing to approve research on marijuana for medicinal purposes. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada.

It may be noted that Minister Khatiwada has been advocating legalization of the use of marijuana for a long time.

The meeting of the Development Problem Solving Committee at the level of the Ministry of Health and Population has decided to advance this agenda. According to Shantaram Bidari, Press Adviser to the Minister for Health and Population, Khatiwada, the committee has decided to give in-principle approval to prepare a legal provision for conducting research for the use of marijuana.

The decision, certified by Minister Khatiwada on Wednesday, states, “To provide in-principle approval for the preparation of legal provisions for the investigation into the use of marijuana for the purpose of collecting samples for research into the medicinal properties and toxicity of marijuana.”

To clarify, what appears to be on the horizon is the launch of an effort to learn more about cannabis’ medical benefits, versus medical cannabis being legalized for use by patients.

Legalizing cannabis for medical use in Nepal will be a process, and likely a long one. What Nepal’s government will find out is that the cannabis plant possesses tremendous wellness benefits and that the medical value it provides does not come with the nasty side effects that accompany many pharmaceutical drugs.

Make no mistake – suffering patients are already successfully using cannabis to treat their conditions in Nepal, it’s just that they are doing so at great risk from a legal perspective, and possibly risking their health by using unregulated products. No patient should ever have to live that way.