Nepal’s 1976 law is told to get an instruction manual

Nepal’s 1976 narcotics law allowed the government to set rules for controlled cannabis production. The rules never materialized – now a court wants the unfinished work completed. As journalist Durga Dulal reported in The Kathmandu Post on 1 November, the recently released full Supreme Court judgment gives the authorities three months from receipt of the order to establish rules, licensing and oversight for medicinal, scientific, agricultural and industrial purposes. The judgment itself dates from 18 May 2025: the fresh development is its full text, rather than sudden legalization. The court did not open an unrestricted recreational market; that question was left for broader consultation and possible legislative change.