India
Asia
#68 of 196 worldwide
#8 of 48 in Asia
The NDPS Act bans flower (ganja) and resin (charas), but bhang made from leaves is legal and sold in government-licensed shops in several states. Some states license hemp and medical cultivation.
Score breakdown ▏world average
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Possession · 25%1/10adds 2.5 of 25 points
The NDPS Act of 1985 bans ganja (flowering tops) and charas (resin). Possessing a 'small quantity' — up to 1 kg of ganja or 100 g of charas — is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of ₹10,000, or both; consumption alone by up to six months. The law does not cover leaves and seeds, which is why bhang is legal.
Personal cultivation · 25%1/10adds 2.5 of 25 points
Cultivating the cannabis plant is an offence with up to ten years. States may permit and regulate cultivation for industrial or horticultural purposes: Uttarakhand licensed hemp from 2018, followed by others.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%2/10adds 4.0 of 20 points
Arrests for small quantities are common and bail can be difficult under the NDPS Act; enforcement is uneven and occasionally high-profile.
Sharing & gifting · 10%1/10adds 1.0 of 10 points
Supply is trafficking, with sentences scaled to quantity.
Consumption · 10%1/10adds 1.0 of 10 points
Consuming ganja or charas is an offence; addicts who volunteer for treatment can be exempted from prosecution. Bhang is consumed openly, especially at Holi and Shivaratri.
Legal access · 10%2/10adds 2.0 of 10 points
Bhang — a preparation of leaves — is sold in government-licensed shops in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, a legal cannabis product with real psychoactive effect. Flower and resin have no legal source. Rules vary by state; some ban bhang too.
More context not part of the score
State-licensed hemp cultivation in a growing number of states; Ayurvedic manufacturers use cannabis leaf under licence.
Bhang, hemp-seed foods, and Ayurvedic cannabis-leaf medicines.
No national medical programme, but cannabis-leaf preparations are sold as Ayurvedic medicines, some on prescription.
An NDPS conviction is a serious criminal record.
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