In the mountain kingdom of Nepal, cannabis is not merely a drug; it is fundamentally sacred. Every year, during the annual festival of Maha Shivaratri, over a million Hindu devotees gather at Kathmandu's holiest temples to honor Lord Shiva, the god of creation and cosmic consciousness, by openly smoking cannabis—a ritual that has been practiced for centuries.
Yet, outside of this single, religiously protected day, the plant remains strictly illegal. This deep contradiction is not rooted in Nepali culture, but in a policy decision from the 1970s, when the country was forced to sacrifice its ancient traditions on the altar of the US-led War on Drugs.
The Hippie Trail and the Himalayan Paradise
Up until the early 1970s, cannabis was legal in Nepal. The country's ideal climate and fertile soil allowed the plant to grow wild, and the cultivation and sale of Nepalese hashish (charas) were a significant part of the agrarian economy.
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A Sanctuary: Kathmandu’s famous "Freak Street" became the final, idyllic destination on the global "Hippie Trail," attracting young travelers seeking a peaceful haven free from societal constraints and the legal threat of marijuana prohibition.
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Economic Backbone: The sale of high-quality hashish provided a robust cash crop for remote Nepalese farmers, and the commerce contributed to local revenue and early tourism.
The US Intervention: Tradition vs. Foreign Aid
The arrival of the American War on Drugs in the early 1970s spelled the end of this ancient freedom. Driven by President Richard Nixon’s global anti-drug agenda, the US administration pressured Nepal to conform to international anti-narcotics treaties.
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The Ultimatum: US officials threatened the Nepalese government with significant cuts to vital financial aid if they failed to outlaw cannabis.
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Prohibition: In 1973, Nepal capitulated, canceling all licenses for cannabis shops, dealers, and farmers. This culminated in the Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act of 1976, which criminalized the cultivation and trade of the plant, pushing a thousand-year-old tradition underground.
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The Aftermath: The ban devastated rural economies in Western Nepal and displaced countless farmers, transforming a stable, legal trade into an illicit, black-market operation overnight.
The Modern Push: Economic Revival and Policy Change
Today, the political landscape is shifting, and legalization is no longer just a demand from sadhus; it is an economic movement. Nepal is actively revisiting its position on cannabis, driven by global trends and the need for domestic economic growth:
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Political Momentum: Following years of campaigning, the government in May 2024 announced plans to legalize the commercial cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes.
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The Revenue Promise: Activists and lawmakers argue that regulated cannabis farming could create new employment, revitalize agriculture in fallow lands, and significantly boost national revenue, helping to mitigate the country’s high trade deficit.
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Indigenous Rights: There is a growing push to assert intellectual property rights over Nepal's indigenous cannabis strains, which have been historically exported and branded globally without any benefit to the country.
While the push for full legalization continues to navigate legal and social challenges, the story of Nepal and cannabis remains a stark reminder of how a foreign political agenda severed a nation from a practice rooted deep in its spiritual and economic identity. For one night a year, however, the ancient tradition remains defiant, with the smoke of Shivaratri acting as a quiet protest against a 50-year-old law.
Sources
◦ The Kathmandu Post - Activists Stoked as Government Plans Medicinal Marijuana Feasibility Study (2023)
◦ The Probe - Nepal's Drug War Backlash: Fueling a Red Resurgence (2025)
◦ Wikipedia - Cannabis in Nepal (Prohibition and History)
◦ Nepal Journals Online - Cannabis, Lord Shiva and Holy Men
