JIST

Abstract

Cannabis and its derivatives (Marijuana, Hashish/ Charas and Bhang) were legally sold in India until 1985. Consumption of Cannabis was not seen as socially deviant behaviour, and was viewed as being similar to the consumption of Alcohol. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, commonly referred to as the NDPS Act came into force on 14 November 1985. Under the NDPS Act, it is illegal for a person to produce/ manufacture/ cultivate, possess, sell, purchase, transport, store, and/or consume any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance. Chamarajanagar, being the southernmost district of Karnataka, borders the state of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Most of the district lies in the leeward region of the Nilgiris and consists of mainly semi-arid rain-dependent flatlands along with forested hills. Because of its connectivity with other states and suitable environmental conditions to grow these substances, it is considered to be a place where illegal cultivation and transportation is rampant. In the present study, all the cases that had been booked under NDPS Act over a period of 5years from 2010 to 2014 are critically analyzed and discussed.