Nepal’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to create a regulatory framework for growing cannabis for medical, scientific, agricultural, horticultural and industrial purposes. The decision was issued in May 2025 but has only recently been made public, as first reported by The Kathmandu Post and picked up by Ganjapreneur.

What the court ordered

The court directed the government to make the necessary legal arrangements within three months of receiving the order. These must include regulations, standards and procedures, and a system for controlled cultivation and production of cannabis under the country’s Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act, 1976.

According to the reported text of the decision, the framework must include a strict system of regulation and monitoring. It must cover licensing for commercial cultivation, production, processing, storage, use, sale, distribution, and import and export for the stated purposes, while prohibiting unauthorised activity.

The rules must also be consistent with the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the international treaty that governs the control of cannabis and other drugs.

Duty to act on existing law

The court said the legislature had already authorised the government to make rules to implement the relevant provisions. In the verdict it wrote: "It is therefore the duty of state authorities to formulate such rules without delay."

It added that failure to do so "amounts to a refusal or neglect by the government to discharge its legal obligations".

Adult use not covered

The ruling does not legalise broader adult-use sales and consumption. The court said these were not explicitly allowed under current law and had wider economic and social implications.

The reports do not say whether the government has responded to the order or whether any regulations have been drafted since May 2025. It is also not clear from the sources why the decision was only recently made public.

Why it matters in the UK

The case is of interest to UK readers as an example of a court pressing a government to set up legal routes for medical and industrial cannabis within the limits of international drug treaties. In the UK, cannabis remains a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, although specialist doctors have been able to prescribe cannabis-based medicines since 1 November 2018.

Further details on any government action in Nepal are expected to be reported by Nepali outlets as the situation develops.