The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In a proactive move to curb substance abuse and limit access to illicit drugs, the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) has initiated a nationwide cannabis plant uprooting program. The initiative aims to reduce easy accessibility, raise community awareness, and foster public participation, and target high-risk and vulnerable areas across the country.
Unlike large-scale eradication campaigns, the current effort is more targeted focusing on locations where cannabis plants grow in close proximity to towns, schools, roadsides, and residential areas, making them easily accessible to the youth and potential abusers.
RBP said that they have involved community as a key strategy, engaging grassroots volunteers, community members, alongside support from dzongkhag and thromde administrations.
By involving the local population, RBP hopes to build greater awareness about the importance of early prevention and other consequences of drug abuse.
The campaign is being carried out across all 20 dzongkhags.
Thimphu completed its round of the program on 9 May 2025, while a few dzongkhags are still continuing operations.
According to RBP, the uprooting was timed strategically, as cannabis plants have not yet ripened or produced seeds preventing further spread through reseeding.
All uprooted plants are being disposed of responsibly, buried under thick layers of soil to ensure they do not regrow.
RBP stated, “As and when possible, we will keep on coming up with different activities to create awareness and limit the use of cannabis by our youths and children.”
Highlighting the urgency of the initiative, RBP said that cannabis remains one of the most abused substances in Bhutan, largely due to its easy availability.
In 2024 alone, 13.15 kg of cannabis leaves, 1.26 kg of hashish, and 337 cannabis plants were seized.
Cannabis abuse accounted for 225 cases in 2024, compared to 197 in 2023, with 58 cases already recorded as of May this year.
Substance abuse remains the top reported crime in the country. In 2024, 1,512 of the total 2,153 recorded crime cases were related to substance abuse.
A total of 3,319 individuals were arrested, with 2,578 referred for Substance-Use-Disorder (SUD) treatment. Among those arrested, 343 were under the age of 18 and 1,406 were aged 18–24 which are under the youth category. 1,570 individuals were 25 years or older.
Student arrests also remain concerning, with 445 reported in 2024 and 471 in 2023. Until may this year, already 153 individuals were arrested.
In the year 2023, 1,571 drug-related cases out of 2,352 total crimes with 3,667 individuals arrested and 3,077 were referred for SUD treatment.
356 individuals were below age 18, 1,548 age 18-24 and aged 25 and above were 1,763.
