Q&A: Before we get high on the cannabis law, let’s measure the plant

Gandaki Province passed a cannabis cultivation bill on July 9, about three and a half months ago. It became an act after authentication on August 3. Many have called the law historic, while others have pointed to its gaps. Dr Amrit Baral is a research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US. His research covers cannabis, psychedelics and their health impacts.

He also writes guest essays for The Post , including one titled “Making the act was the easy part”. Dr Baral sat down with The Post ’s Biken K Dawadi to explain what the law gets right, where it falls short and what a workable framework could look like. It is a historic bill. Given Nepal’s other priorities, one province passing a bill to legalise cannabis is newsworthy. We also have a long history with the plant, from ceremonial use to different health uses since ancient times.

Globally, legalisation and medicinal use are the trend, and Gandaki caught that signal and moved ahead. We should welcome it with respect. An act is mostly written by a team.