Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered the government to create a regulatory framework for commercial cannabis cultivation and production within three months, targeting medical, scientific, agricultural, horticultural and industrial uses.
Licensing and oversight
On May 18, 2025, judges Nahakul Subedi and Til Prasad Shrestha issued the directive after a petition filed by lawyer Saroj Adhikari and other petitioners; the full verdict text was published recently.
The court warned that the government’s long‑standing failure to develop required rules had stalled practical implementation of the Narcotic Drugs Control Act of 1976.
The new framework must establish licensing standards and procedures for cultivation, production, processing, storage, use, sale, distribution, import and export for the specified purposes.
Recreational use separately
The court stressed strict oversight to permit licensed activities while preventing illegal cultivation, production, manufacturing and distribution.
Rules must comply with national legislation and the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which governs cannabis control and supervision.
On recreational use, the court noted current law does not explicitly allow it and told the Prime Minister’s Office and Council of Ministers to conduct broad expert and stakeholder consultations before any amendment, considering Nepal’s social, economic and cultural context.
