November 7: The government has formed a task force under the coordination of the Ministry of Home Affairs to carry out a feasibility study of marijuana cultivation in the country.    
A meeting held on Monday at the Ministry of Finance under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat decided to form the task force under the coordination of a joint secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The task force will also have joint secretaries from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers as well as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Ministry  of Law, Ministry  of Foreign Affairs and the representatives of Nepal Police, with joint secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture as the member-secretary.    
On the occasion, Finance Minister Mahat instructed the task force to submit its report within one month. This task force has been given two mandates – to research how marijuana can be used as medicine and the possibility of industrialization. The task force will also study the possibility of making clothes from hemp stems, leaves and fibers.     
It may be noted that the budget estimates of the government for the current fiscal year had mentioned about conducting a study of the possibility of marijuana cultivation. -- RSS