New Delhi:A plea has been registered in the Delhi High Court seeking the decriminalization of Cannabis usage in India.
The petition was filed by Great Legislation India Movement Trust challenging the provision of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Rule, 1985 which prohibits and criminalize the use of cannabis or industrial hemp and prescribed restriction on activities related to it.
The concerned matter was listed before the division bench of Justices G.S Sistani and Jyoti Singh.
The advocates Avinash K Sharma and Ashutosh Nagar, who filed the petition for the organisation, clarified that it is not seeking to completely de-regulate the use of the drug. However, any regulations should be consistent with the requirement of "reasonable restriction".
Relying on the various scientific research paper and reports, the petitioner highlighted the various medicinal properties of cannabis.