Shimla, July 13 -- Himachal government will soon frame rules for implementation of legal cultivation of cannabis (hemp) for medicinal and industrial purposes and the process to grant licenses for medicinal and industrial hemp farming will begin in phases, said revenue, horticulture and tribal development minister Jagat Singh Negi. Negi was in Shimla, speaking a day after a workshop and exhibition on innovative industrial and medicinal hemp-based products at the historic Gaiety Theatre. The seminar, which focused on the medicinal and industrial use of hemp, showcased dozens of products made from cannabis including food items and pharmaceutical extracts by stakeholders from Himachal and other states. The minister, who inaugurated the event, interacted with industry experts and explored exhibition stalls to understand the range of hemp-based products. 'Drug-free cannabis can become a sustainable economic option for farmers, not a source of addiction' Implying that drug-free cannabis can become a sustainable economic option for farmers, not a source of addiction, Negi said: "Cannabis cultivation carried out for industrial or medicinal purposes is completely free from narcotic substances. It should not be confused with illegal or wild hemp that naturally grows in many regions and contains addictive elements," he said. "The government is committed to creating a prosperous, drug-free Himachal. Cannabis grown for medical and industrial use is not for intoxication, it is for healing and industry. There is a false perception among," he explained. Negi also recalled that in 2023, the state assembly had set up a joint panel to explore the viability of legal cannabis cultivation in the state. "We visited several states like Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir to study existing hemp models and assess the legal and economic frameworks," he said. Based on the committee's recommendation, the assembly passed a resolution in the monsoon session, 2024, to legalise hemp cultivation for medical and industrial purposes....