LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR DRUG LAWS

AUTHOR – PRABHAT MAURYA, LAW STUDENT AT LAW COLLEGE DEHRADUN, UTTARANCHAL UNIVERSITY, DEHRADUN

BEST CITATION – PRABHAT MAURYA, LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR DRUG LAWS, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (6) OF 2026, PG. 201-209, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

The drug regulations of India fall within the category of the most stringent and probably, the most complicated, regulatory systems in the world. The entire system revolves around the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) and is specifically designed to prevent the four basic stages, which are, the cultivation, production, trafficking, and consumption of narcotic and psychotropic substances. The initial purpose of the system is an anti, drug one, but nowadays, changes and court rulings have brought the issue to a framework of strict liability, high standard of proofs and harsh punishments, especially in cases involving commercial quantities. Nevertheless, even if the strategy is mostly preventive, the drug enforcement agencies are still encountering numerous obstacles among which procedural inconsistencies, arrest powers abuse, over, criminalization of drug, dependent individuals and delays in forensic examination are the most prominent ones. This paper deals with the past, the current legal framework, the enforcement and judicial developments of the Indian drug law regime, suggesting that there are considerable gaps and reforms are necessary. Furthermore, it asserts that a fair, research, led policy model which not only supports the fight against the drug networks but also safeguards the rights of drug, dependent individuals and facilitates their rehabilitation is the way forward.

Keywords: Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act), Drug Control Laws in India, Drug Trafficking and Enforcement