KATHMANDU, March 2: Member of Parliament Sher Bahadur Tamang on Monday registered a prviate bill at the House of Representatives demanding that marijuana cultivation be legalized in the country.

The bill named "Marijuana Cultivation Regulation and Management in Nepal" was registered at the parliament secretariat today.

MP Tamang who is also the former law minister said that the marijuana cultivation would be helpful in enhancing the country’s economy adding that it has medicinal uses. In the bill, it has been argued that the country can make money by exporting marijuana.

"If the ban on marijuana production and sale is lifted, new job opportunities will be created at home itself thereby stopping the trend of Nepali youths going abroad in search of job opportunities in coming days," read the bill. The private bill was drafted by MP Tamang.

The bill claims that over 65 countries in all five continents including USA, Canada, and Germany who had led the movements for banning marijuana in the 1970s, have already legalized it.

Nepal has banned the farming, production and trade of marijuana and cannabis since 1973 listing it under the drugs following pressure from Western countries. According to officials, Kathmandu used to be popular destination for western hippies for consumption of marijuana in the 1960s until the government banned it.