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Cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana (or in the street lingo as pot), is a psychoactive drug extracted from the plant Cannabis, intended for medicinal and recreational use. The main psychoactive part of Cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabis can be used by smoking, vaporizing, within a food, or as an extract. Cannabis is often used for its mental and physical effects, a few being:
Though marijuana is legal in several countries across the globe, this issue has been undergoing some serious debate in India. India’s affinity to psychoactive substances is centuries old. Documented references to cannabis date back to 2000-1400 BC, with texts describing it as “sacred grass”. Medical use of cannabis is recorded in books like the Susruta Samhita. To date, bhang, ganja and charas — products of the cannabis plant — are enlisted in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 for use in Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani medicine. The use of marijuana is also deeply entwined with faith and mysticism.
The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 criminalized the cannabis plant, though it does allow State governments to ‘permit and regulate’ its usage for medical, scientific and, to some extent, industrial uses. Since only a few states have exercised their regulatory powers, people continue to be arrested for possession and usage of cannabis.
With an estimated 125 million people consuming it, in some form or the other every year, marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the entire world. In 1997, AIIMS, New Delhi, published a report titled ‘Cannabis, Health Damage? Legislative Options’, which found the use of Cannabis to be less harmful than the consumption of substances such as alcohol and tobacco.
Amidst all this, the most prominent question is, does legalizing marijuana actually provide any gains? Here are a few reasons as to why legalizing it could actually end up profiting the masses:
The cannabis plant grows naturally in India, especially the northern hilly regions. It has the potential of becoming a cash crop for poor marginal farmers. If proper research is done and cultivation of marijuana encouraged at an official level, it can gradually become a source of income for poor people with small landholdings. Also, even if you are growing paddy, you can grow marijuana on the margins.
-1512195338_700x500_.jpeg)
India should ideally focus on marijuana’s medicinal use. It is known to help people with eye ailments, cancer, and joint pain. Incidentally, China is also doing a lot of research on marijuana for cancer treatment. Marijuana does not cure cancer but it reportedly stops cancer from spreading.
Decriminalization will replace the black-market production and distribution. The trade will be populated by the government, farmers, merchants and retail clerks, instead of dealers and criminals.
It is said that 60,000 kgs of hash and 40,000 kgs of opium are produced in Himachal Pradesh. Out of that, only 500 kgs is seized annually. As per reports, "more than 1,600 hectares of cultivable farmland and an additional 500 hectares of illicitly felled public forests are currently under cannabis cultivation". The rate is only increasing. Moreover, these days, it is pretty easy to buy marijuana in India and its consumption is widespread among the youth. So, it is fair to say that prohibition has failed to curb the 'problem'.
However, if one flips the coin, one can see there are certain disadvantages to it too:
It is a massive one. However, it is conjointly a risk that may be entirely avoided if you select to try and do so. Tar buildup happens once you inhale smoke from marijuana. Although it’s troublesome to check with the naked eye, smoke from dried herbs contains thousands of little-burned plant particles. Once these particles come in contact with each other, they settle and accumulate. These particles then produce a tar-like organic compound which is harmful to lungs.
This theory states that the utilization of less harmful drugs could cause a future risk of victimization to a lot of dangerous medicine. Cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco are attributed to the current theory. Some scientific studies show that the consumption of cannabis can probably predict a major higher risk for the next use of “harder” illicit drugs, whereas different studies show that it cannot.
A ten-year long study conducted in Australia found that adults of twenty-four years used a drug referred to as amphetamines which were preceded by the employment of cannabis.
-1512195390_700x500_.jpeg)
Cannabis users might get a lot of deep sleep; however, they additionally spend less time in REM sleep. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. Once we’re in this sleep phase, our body is at its nearest to being awake. Unsurprisingly, REM is the final section of the 90-minute sleep cycle. Coincidentally, REM sleep is the time you’re capable of having vivid dreams and nightmares. Researchers still don’t understand why this sleep cycle is helpful to our health. But, one leading theory is that it provides certain components of our brain a rest, namely, the components which secrete serotonin and histamine.
For now, whether marijuana will be legalized remains up in the air. As many people, we ask, as many opinions will there be. However, we need to think for ourselves, in a country that is already rampant with social issues that seem to have no viable solution, is the legalization of really our topmost priority?
By Yamini Negi
Dec 02, 2017
-1496569270.png){kind=small}
Cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana (or in the street lingo as pot), is a psychoactive drug extracted from the plant Cannabis, intended for medicinal and recreational use. The main psychoactive part of Cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabis can be used by smoking, vaporizing, within a food, or as an extract. Cannabis is often used for its mental and physical effects, a few being:
Though marijuana is legal in several countries across the globe, this issue has been undergoing some serious debate in India. India’s affinity to psychoactive substances is centuries old. Documented references to cannabis date back to 2000-1400 BC, with texts describing it as “sacred grass”. Medical use of cannabis is recorded in books like the Susruta Samhita. To date, bhang, ganja and charas — products of the cannabis plant — are enlisted in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 for use in Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani medicine. The use of marijuana is also deeply entwined with faith and mysticism.
The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 criminalized the cannabis plant, though it does allow State governments to ‘permit and regulate’ its usage for medical, scientific and, to some extent, industrial uses. Since only a few states have exercised their regulatory powers, people continue to be arrested for possession and usage of cannabis.
With an estimated 125 million people consuming it, in some form or the other every year, marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the entire world. In 1997, AIIMS, New Delhi, published a report titled ‘Cannabis, Health Damage? Legislative Options’, which found the use of Cannabis to be less harmful than the consumption of substances such as alcohol and tobacco.
Amidst all this, the most prominent question is, does legalizing marijuana actually provide any gains? Here are a few reasons as to why legalizing it could actually end up profiting the masses:
The cannabis plant grows naturally in India, especially the northern hilly regions. It has the potential of becoming a cash crop for poor marginal farmers. If proper research is done and cultivation of marijuana encouraged at an official level, it can gradually become a source of income for poor people with small landholdings. Also, even if you are growing paddy, you can grow marijuana on the margins.
India should ideally focus on marijuana’s medicinal use. It is known to help people with eye ailments, cancer, and joint pain. Incidentally, China is also doing a lot of research on marijuana for cancer treatment. Marijuana does not cure cancer but it reportedly stops cancer from spreading.
Decriminalization will replace the black-market production and distribution. The trade will be populated by the government, farmers, merchants and retail clerks, instead of dealers and criminals.
It is said that 60,000 kgs of hash and 40,000 kgs of opium are produced in Himachal Pradesh. Out of that, only 500 kgs is seized annually. As per reports, "more than 1,600 hectares of cultivable farmland and an additional 500 hectares of illicitly felled public forests are currently under cannabis cultivation". The rate is only increasing. Moreover, these days, it is pretty easy to buy marijuana in India and its consumption is widespread among the youth. So, it is fair to say that prohibition has failed to curb the 'problem'.
However, if one flips the coin, one can see there are certain disadvantages to it too:
It is a massive one. However, it is conjointly a risk that may be entirely avoided if you select to try and do so. Tar buildup happens once you inhale smoke from marijuana. Although it’s troublesome to check with the naked eye, smoke from dried herbs contains thousands of little-burned plant particles. Once these particles come in contact with each other, they settle and accumulate. These particles then produce a tar-like organic compound which is harmful to lungs.
This theory states that the utilization of less harmful drugs could cause a future risk of victimization to a lot of dangerous medicine. Cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco are attributed to the current theory. Some scientific studies show that the consumption of cannabis can probably predict a major higher risk for the next use of “harder” illicit drugs, whereas different studies show that it cannot.
A ten-year long study conducted in Australia found that adults of twenty-four years used a drug referred to as amphetamines which were preceded by the employment of cannabis.
Cannabis users might get a lot of deep sleep; however, they additionally spend less time in REM sleep. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. Once we’re in this sleep phase, our body is at its nearest to being awake. Unsurprisingly, REM is the final section of the 90-minute sleep cycle. Coincidentally, REM sleep is the time you’re capable of having vivid dreams and nightmares. Researchers still don’t understand why this sleep cycle is helpful to our health. But, one leading theory is that it provides certain components of our brain a rest, namely, the components which secrete serotonin and histamine.
For now, whether marijuana will be legalized remains up in the air. As many people, we ask, as many opinions will there be. However, we need to think for ourselves, in a country that is already rampant with social issues that seem to have no viable solution, is the legalization of really our topmost priority?
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