Kathmandu, Aug 5: Gandaki Province has formally legalised cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes after a bill regulating its production received official assent, making it Nepal’s first province to establish a legal framework for cannabis farming. Cannabis plants may only be harvested after an on-site inspection and official approval. The bill had earlier been returned by Province Chief Dilli Raj Bhatta, who questioned its compatibility with the federal Narcotic Drugs Control Act, 1976. After the Gandaki Provincial Assembly passed it unchanged for a second time, the province chief endorsed the legislation on Monday. He said the Constitution gives provinces exclusive authority over agriculture, allowing Gandaki to legalise cannabis as an agricultural crop for medical and industrial purposes.