US War on Drugs Still Rules in Kathmandu

www.ozy.com [OZY]( OZY A Modern Media Company Share This Sh*t October 20, 2022 Share This Sh*t [The drop]( US WAR ON DRUGS STILL RULES IN KATHMANDU Richard Nixon killed a part of Nepali culture. The people want it back. Sponsored by [Masterworks]( Sacred Herb Ridhi Agrawal from Biratnagar, Nepal [@ridhi_agrawal]( Kathmandu’s “Freak Street” used to be the terminus of the Hippie Trail that was popular among Western tourists in the 1950s and 1960s. The street featured stores, licensed by Nepal’s government, where shoppers could buy local hashish. Back then, a small army of farmers cultivated the plant as their livelihood, making cannabis a wellspring for both commerce and recreation. Then, in June 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs. Then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger [warned]( Nixon that Nepal would kindle opposition to this new war, as young Americans visited the Himalayan country and would return to demonstrate against Nixon and his policies. Under pressure from the U.S., Nepal destroyed its cannabis crops. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, who was Nepal’s finance minister at the time, has [said]( publicly that crops were decimated in order to please the wealthy Western power. This drastic move ran counter to Nepal’s traditional culture. “Among other herbs, cannabis is one of the most sacred medical herbs found in Nepal, is related with Lord Shiva and hence it is offered to him,” Som Prasad Khatiwada, head of the Central Department of Nepalese History, Culture and Archaeology at Tribhuvan University, told OZY. Nepal didn’t just destroy cannabis crops. In 1976, the government passed the[Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act](, defining cannabis as a narcotic and criminalizing its cultivation, sale and consumption. With this ban of what had been a cash crop, livelihoods were wiped out. The cannabis trade in Nepal moved [underground](, and has remained there ever since. Meanwhile, in the U.S. in 2022, cannabis is legal in more than thirty states. Khatiwada said that, today, “there is a need for lawmakers to work closely with experts” to frame laws that are mindful of Nepali’s own culture, rather than global demands. Local activists agree. They say it’s time for their nation to step out of the long shadow of another country’s war on drugs. But this has proven difficult. They say it’s time for their nation to step out of the long shadow of another country’s war on drugs. But this has proven difficult. - local activists advocating the legalization of cannabis in Nepal say it’s time for their nation to step out of the long shadow of another country’s war on drugs. But this has proven difficult. local activists advocating the legalization of cannabis in Nepal ADVERTISEMENT [The modern way to beat inflation]( Two words: Fine art. 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In an interview with OZY, farmer and activist Roshan Baral noted that cannabis grows wild in the Himalayas. “The soil and climate of Nepal are well-suitable for the growth of various species of cannabis — marijuana and hemp,” Baral said. “When it is a specialty of Nepal, why should we Nepalis not benefit from it?” In 2020, Nepal, along with 26 other member nations, [voted]( at the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs to remove cannabis from the list of narcotic drugs, and to reclassify cannabis to recognize its therapeutic uses. That same year, a lawmaker introduced a bill in Nepal’s Parliament. When it is a specialty of Nepal, why should we Nepalis not benefit from it? - Roshan Baral it is a specialty of Nepal, why should we Nepalis not benefit from it? Roshan Baral The [Cannabis Cultivation Management Act]( was the result of activists’ collaboration with legislators. The [proposed bill]( would grant a government-issued license to farmers interested in growing and selling marijuana, establishing an industry that would be regulated by the health secretary. Since that step two years ago, however, discussion on the bill has largely stalled. Cannabis activist Rhigendra Giri, who has worked with members of Parliament, said that lawmakers do not want to be seen as publicly pro-cannabis. They may also simply lack awareness of the potential benefits from cannabis farming, said Khatiwada of Tribhuvan University. This is unfortunate, said Baral, as cannabis cultivation would be a boon to Nepali farmers. The plant can serve as a cash crop that can be grown two to three times a year, Baral explained, and it can be used in the production of numerous products including medicine, nutritional supplements, body lotions and salves, cloth fiber and even fertilizer. This industry could also help a flagging economy. Nepal is currently struggling with a weak labor market that has forced many Nepalis to migrate. This has created hardship for families, as men often leave behind spouses and children in search of work abroad. Economist Ruzel Shrestha said that cannabis legalization would provide a modest boost to the country’s economy. “Resolving poverty is beyond the scope of any one farming commodity,” he said. But he noted that hemp and cannabis offer a higher rate of return as compared to crops like rice and maize; for some farmers, cannabis could be the difference between eking out a living in Nepal rather than migrating — a considerable difference for the people whose families hang in the balance. THE OZY GENIUS AWARDS ARE BACK! Life's too short to not dream big! The OZY Genius Awards support college students' young, bright minds. Application Deadline is October 31, 2022! Don't wait! [APPLY HERE]( Farmers Face Big Hurdles While reversing the policies of a foreign power’s decades-old war on drugs might seem like an easy win for this small Himalayan country, enormous hurdles remain. Pramod Aryal, a researcher at Tribhuvan University’s Department of Biotechnology, said that his country’s powerful neighbors, India and China, could harbor some concerns about the prospect of legal cannabis in Nepal. Aryal noted that India, with whom Nepal shares a porous border, might fear increased drug trafficking, and that such legalization might “sabotage our neighbor’s [India’s] tax collection, if we go for recreational farming, as this would be a new tourism business,” and one that could potentially siphon commerce from India. And while activists and farmers might favor legalization, other major industries might view such a move as threatening their own profits, and therefore lobby against it. “The pharma, tobacco and liquor businesses will be against any recreational cannabis legalization, as they fear the idea of opening up another recreational material,” said Krishna Kaphle, a professor at Tribhuvan University’s Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science who has been peripherally involved in Canada’s legalization process over the past decade. Kaphle noted that the current push for legalization by activists is pitched as a measure to help ordinary people, including low-income households “who could be allowed to grow limited cannabis plants, from which they can then earn a few thousands [Nepalese rupees] a year. But this might not be of interest to the lawmakers, as they wouldn’t be able to reap benefits.” Such lawmakers might be more interested in the prospect of foreign investment in large-scale cannabis cultivation, Kaphle said, which could bring more substantial revenue into the national economy. Khatiwada said there was a way to benefit all parties. “The government should buy from the farmers, and the state should make medicines and export it.” The activist Giri has been lobbying to legalize cannabis for nearly a decade. While an uphill battle remains, he said that the momentum and popularity of legalization has never been stronger than it is today. What does the war on drugs mean to you? 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