Experts Call for Cannabis Re-Legalization in India, Citing Economic and Cultural Benefits

Calls for the re-legalization of cannabis in India are gaining momentum as experts and activists highlight the plant’s deep historical roots and potential economic advantages. According to High Times, cannabis was cultivated legally in certain Indian regions as recently as the early 1980s, with government oversight and taxation. Author Ed Rosenthal, who visited a regulated ganja farm in 1981, recalls, "The plants were grown openly, harvested responsibly, and taxed by the state."

Prohibition has failed to eliminate cannabis use across India, instead pushing the market underground and resulting in lower-quality, unregulated products. Despite the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985 outlawing the cultivation, sale, and possession of cannabis flowers and resin, ganja and charas remain widely available. The only exception is bhang, a preparation made from cannabis leaves, which remains legal due to its religious significance

The criminalization of cannabis in India did not stem from local culture or medical evidence, but rather from external pressures. As reported by High Times, India's 1961 commitment to the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs forced a phase-out of legal cannabis. This shift, campaigners argue, disregarded millennia of traditional use in food, medicine, and religious rituals, while also undermining rural economies that once benefited from regulated cultivation

Advocates for reform stress that prohibition has led to unintended consequences, including selective law enforcement, corruption, and increased demand for more harmful substances like alcohol. "Prohibition has not eliminated cannabis use; it has simply ensured inferior products while generating no public benefit," Rosenthal stated. Experts also warn that India’s unique landrace cannabis genetics, which hold potential for medical research, are being lost or exported illegally under the current regime

Re-legalizing cannabis, supporters contend, could generate significant tax revenue, create agricultural jobs, and enable scientific and medical research. With proper regulation, consumers could be protected from contaminants, and traditional practices could be honored rather than criminalized. As Rosenthal concludes, "Re-legalizing ganja would not be a leap into the unknown. It would be a return to regulation, tradition, and common sense—guided by history, science, and lived experience."

From OG Lab’s perspective, the Indian debate over cannabis legalization reflects a global reexamination of prohibition-era policies. As more countries move toward regulated markets, India’s decision will have implications for public health, rural development, and the preservation of unique cannabis genetics. The outcome is worth watching closely as both domestic and international stakeholders weigh in on the future of ganja in India