Should Punjab government legalise opium? Here's what leaders have to say

The first politician to endorse the demand to allow farmers to grow poppy and marijuana is former MP Dharamvira Gandhi
India Today (India)
Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Consuming opium and poppy husk is not considered bad in Punjab. It is called 'kali nagini ' (black female serpent) and people from all walks of life consume it. Punjab's politicians are now demanding that the cultivation of opium be legalised in the state. The first politician to demand to allow farmers to grow poppy and cannabis is Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi. He not only introduced a private bill in Parliament in 2016 but also demanded doses of poppy husk for the state's drug addicts by writing a letter to the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. (See also: Patiala MP reiterates demands to decriminalise drug addicts, legalise opium | Opium production: A potential economic high for India)