Gandaki passed the cannabis law. The harder one comes next

Nepal's Gandaki Province Assembly has taken a significant step by unanimously passing a bill to license cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes, a move that had eluded Nepali legislatures since prohibition.

The bill, authenticated on August 3, establishes a structured approach to licensing. It mandates prior consent, infrastructure development, and only grants licenses after thorough inspection. A crucial element is the requirement for a purchase agreement with a registered buyer, ensuring supply is tied to declared demand, a measure intended to avoid the speculative pitfalls seen in Thailand after it delisted cannabis in 2022. Section 14 also makes testing mandatory before harvest, adding another layer of control.

However, the path forward is fraught with challenges. A primary concern is Section 4(4), which caps tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at 0.3 percent by dry weight. This effectively classifies licensed private cultivation as a hemp program, limiting access to medicinal chemotypes to government-controlled routes. Much of the existing clinical evidence for cannabinoid medicine relies on preparations with THC levels significantly above this threshold. The 0.3 percent figure itself appears arbitrary, with some countries now considering a 1 percent cap, and the actual THC and CBD content of Nepali cannabis remains largely unmeasured.

Further complicating matters are the restrictions on cultivation to prescribed varieties and the lack of a registry for naturally occurring plants. Without a breeding program to supply locally adapted cultivars that reliably meet chosen standards, growers may resort to importing genetics or failing tests. The dioecious and wind-pollinated nature of cannabis means imported pollen can easily introgress into wild populations, potentially altering their genetic makeup.

Additionally, the bill's wording regarding THC measurement is unclear, as living plants primarily produce THCA, an acidic precursor that is not intoxicating and does not register as THC. The effectiveness and true scope of this new cannabis law will depend heavily on how the provincial government drafts the subsequent rules and standards.