Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 - Prohibition, Control and Regulation

CHAPTER III - PROHIBITION, CONTROL AND REGULATION

 8.  Prohibition of certain operations. No person shall –

            (a)  cultivate any coca plant or gather any portion of coca plant; or

            (b)  cultivate the opium poppy or any cannabis plant; or

            (c)   produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, transport, warehouse,  use, consume,  import inter-State,  export inter-State, import into India, export from India or tranship any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance, except for medical or scientific purposes and in the manner and to the extent  provided by the  provisions of this Act or  the rules or orders made there under and in a case where any such provision, imposes any requirement by way of licence, permit or authorisation  also in accordance with the  terms and conditions of such licence, permit or authorisation:

                        Provided that,  and subject  to the  other provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, the prohibition against the cultivation of the cannabis plant for the production of ganja or the production, possession, use, consumption, purchase, sale, transport, warehousing, import inter-State and export inter-State of ganja for any purpose other than medical and scientific purpose shall take effect only from the date which the  Central Government may, by notification in  the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf.

                        2*[Provided  further that nothing in this section shall apply to the export of poppy straw for decorative purposes.]

9.  Power of Central Government to permit, control and regulate.

            (1)  Subject to the provisions of section 8, the Central Government may, by rules –

                        a)   permit and regulate –

                                    (i)   the cultivation, or gathering of any portion  (such cultivation or gathering being only on account of the Central Government) of coca plant, or the production, possession, sale, purchase, transport, import inter-State, export inter-State, use or consumption of coca leaves.

                                    (ii)   the cultivation (such cultivation being only on account of Central Government) of the opium poppy;

                                    (iii)   the production and manufacture of opium and production of poppy straw;

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1.   Ins. by Act 2 of 1989, s. 4 (w.e.f. 28-5-1989).

2.   Ins. by s. 5, ibid. (w.e.f. 29-5-1989).

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                                     (iv)   the sale of opium and opium derivatives from the Central Government factories for export from India or sale to State Government or to

manufacturing chemists:

                                    (v)   the manufacture of manufactured drugs (other than prepared opium)  but not  including manufacture of medicinal opium or any preparation  containing any manufactured drug from materials which the maker is lawfully entitled to possess;

                                    (vi)   the manufacture, possession, transport, import inter-State, export inter-State, sale, purchase, consumption or use of psychotropic substances;

                                    (vii)   the import into India and export from India and transshipment of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances;

                        (b)  prescribe any other matter requisite to render effective the control  of the Central Government over any of the matters specified in clause (a).

            (2)  In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may –

                        (a)   empower the Central Government to fix from time to time the limits within which licenses may be given for the cultivation of the opium poppy;

                        (b)   require that all opium, the produce of land cultivated with the  opium poppy,  shall be  delivered by the cultivators to the officers authorised in this behalf by the Central Government;

                        (c)   prescribe the forms and conditions of licences for cultivation of the opium poppy and for production and manufacture of opium; the fees that may be charged therefore; the authorities by which such licences may be granted, withheld, refused or cancelled and the authorities before which appeals against the orders of  withholding, refusal or cancellation of licences shall lie;

                        (d)    prescribe that opium shall be weighed, examined and classified according to its quality and consistence by the officers authorised in this behalf by the Central Government in the presence of the cultivator at the time of delivery by the cultivator;

                        (e)    empower the Central Government to fix from time to time the price to be paid to the cultivators for the opium delivered;

                        (f)    provide for the weighment, examination and classification, according  to the quality and consistence, of the opium  received  at  the  factory  and  the  deductions  from  or additions (if any) to the standard price to be made in accordance with the result of such examination; and the authorities by which the decisions with regard to the weighment, examination, classification, deductions or additions shall be  made and the authorities before  which appeals  against such decisions shall lie;

                        (g)   require that opium delivered by a cultivator, if found as a result of examination in the Central Government factory to be adulterated,  may be confiscated by the officers authorised in this behalf;

                        (h)   prescribe the forms and conditions of licences for the manufacture of manufactured drugs, the authorities by which such licences may be  granted  and  the  fees  that  may  be  charged therefore;

                        (i)    prescribe the forms and conditions of licences or permits for the manufacture, possession, transport, import inter-State, export inter-State, sale, purchase, consumption or use of psychotropic substances, the authorities  by which such licences or permits may be  granted and  the fees  that  may  be  charged therefore;

                        (j)   prescribe the ports and other places at which any kind of  narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances may be imported into India or exported from  India or  transshipped;  the  forms  and conditions of  certificates, authorisations  or permits,  as  the case may  be,  for  such  import,  export  or  transhipment;  the authorities by which such certificates, authorisations or permits may be granted and the fees that may be charged therefore.

1*["9A.  Power to control and regulate controlled substances.

            (1)   If the Central Government is of the opinion that, having regard to the use of any controlled substance in the production or manufacture of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance, it is necessary or expedient so to do in the public interest, it may, by order, provide for regulating or prohibiting the production, manufacture, supply and distribution thereof and trade and commerce therein.

            (2)   Without prejudice to the generality of the power conferred by sub-section (1), an order made there under may provide for regulating by licences, permits or otherwise, the production, manufacture, possession, transport, import inter-State, export inter-State, sale, purchase, consumption, use, storage, distribution, disposal or acquisition of any controlled substance."]

10.  Power of State Government to permit, control and regulate.

            (1)   Subject to the provisions of section 8, the State Government may, by rules –

                        (a)   permit and regulate –

                                    (i)   the possession, transport, import inter-State, export inter-State, warehousing, sale, purchase, consumption and use of poppy straw;

                                    (ii)   the possession, transport, import inter-State, export inter-State, sale, purchase, consumption and use of opium;

                                    (iii)   the cultivation of any cannabis plant, production,  manufacture,   possession,  transport, import inter-State, export inter-State, sale, purchase, consumption or use of cannabis (excluding charas);

                                    (iv)    the manufacture of medicinal opium or any preparation containing  any manufactured drug from materials which the maker is lawfully entitled

to possess;

                                    (v)    the possession, transport, purchase, sale, import inter-State, export inter-State, use or consumption of manufactured drugs other than  prepared opium  and of  coca leaf and any preparation containing any manufactured drug;

                                    (vi)   the manufacture and possession of prepared opium from opium  lawfully possessed by an addict registered with the State Government on  medical advice  for  his  personal consumption:

                        Provided that save in so far as may be expressly provided in the rules made  under sub-clauses (iv) and (v), nothing in section 8 shall apply  to the import  inter-State,  export  inter-State,  transport, possession, purchase,  sale, use  or consumption of manufactured drugs which are the property and in the possession of the Government:

                         Provided further that such drugs as are referred to in the  preceding proviso  shall not  be sold  or otherwise  delivered to  any person who, under the  rules made  by the  State Government under the aforesaid sub-clauses, is not entitled to their possession;

                        (b)  prescribe any other matter requisite to render effective the control of the State Government over any of the matters specified in clause (a).

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1.   Ins. by Act 2 of 1989, s. 6 (w.e.f. 29-5-1989).

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            (2)   In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may –

                        (a)   empower the State Government to declare any place to be a warehouse wherein it shall be the duty of the owners to deposit all such poppy straw  as is  legally imported inter-State and is intended for export inter-State or export from India; to regulate the safe custody of  such poppy straw warehoused and the removal of such poppy straw for sale or export inter-State or export from India; to levy fees for such  warehousing and  to prescribe the manner in  which and  the period after which the poppy  straw warehoused shall be disposed of in default of payment of fees;

                        (b)   provide that the limits within  which licences  may be given for  the cultivation  of any  cannabis plant shall be fixed from time to time by or under the orders of the State Government;

                        (c)   provide  that  only  the  cultivators  licenced  by  the prescribed authority  of the State Government shall be authorised to engage in cultivation of any cannabis plant;

                        (d)   require that all cannabis, the produce of land cultivated with  cannabis plant, shall be delivered by the cultivators to the officers of the State Government authorised in this behalf;

                        (e)   empower the State Government to fix from time to time, the price to be paid to the cultivators  for the cannabis delivered;

                        (f)   prescribe the forms and conditions of licences or permits for  the purposes specified in sub-clauses (i) to (vi) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) and the authorities by which such licences or  permits may  be granted  and the  fees that  may  be charged therefore.

11.  Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, etc., not liable to distress or attachment.

            Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any law or contract, no narcotic drug, psychotropic substance, coca plant, the opium poppy or cannabis plant shall be liable to be detrained or attached by any person for the recovery of any money  under any  order or  decree of  any court  or authority  or otherwise.

 12.  Restrictions over external dealings in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

            No person shall engage in or control  any trade whereby a narcotic drug or  psychotropic substance is obtained outside India and supplied to any person outside India save with the previous authorisation of the Central Government and subject to such conditions as may be imposed by that Government in this behalf.

 13.  Special provisions relating to coca plant and coca leaves for use in the preparation of flavouring agent.

            Notwithstanding anything contained in section 8, the Central Government may permit, with or without conditions, and on behalf of  Government, the cultivation of any coca  plant or gathering of any portion thereof or the production, possession, sale,  purchase, transport,  import  inter-State,  export inter-State or  import into  India of  coca  leaves  for  use  in  the preparation of  any flavouring  agent  which  shall  not  contain  any alkaloid and to the extent necessary for such use.

 14. Special provision relating to cannabis.

            Notwithstanding anything contained in section 8, Government may, by general or special order and subject to such conditions as may be specified in such order, allow cultivation of any cannabis plant for industrial purposes only of obtaining fiber or seed or for horticultural purposes.