Cannabis Sativa which, for simplification is also known as marijuana, weed, pot, or grass, is a plant holding numerous wonders within itself. Those wonders can prove to either be a heavenly blessing or a curse darker than any moonless night depending upon its usage & user. It is a plant with glorified & respected in history for more than thousands of years & ironically enough, suffers more neglect & stigmatization than any other material of its class.
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The opportunities & darkness that lingers around cannabis automatically makes it an interesting topic for anyone’s curiosity. But when weighed on a scale of good to bad, we find the facts discredit the current established scenario around it. Cannabis has always been seen with a certain degree of respect especially in medical circles & numerous other sectors. So why a plant with such kind integrity was suddenly made the global as well as national villain?
Cannabis & India, a brief history
Cannabis enjoyed the highest pedestal of admiration & respect in Indian society pre-1985. India not only used this plant for its medicinal benefits but it was also deeply rooted inside major religious values & traditions of the land. Hinduism, the major religion in India, gave this plant the respect it deserved. It was given the name of Vijaya & it along with 4 other plants namely Tulsi, sandalwood, jasmine & neem, was included in the group of most sacred plants in Atharvaveda (ch.11, varak 6, verse 15) & Ayurveda.
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Ayurveda precisely describes 400+ components contained within this plant & ancient intellectuals derived individual ways to extract & use all those compounds for benefit of all mankind. Up until 1985, Ayurveda industrial complex depended heavily upon it to use it for medicinal purposes, it is also mentioned in the same Ayurveda that ‘cannabis is a source of happiness & is a joy giver & liberator’.
India did not change its position when the UN declared cannabis as a synthetic drug globally in 1961. The resistance was due to its deep cultural importance, an example of which was that of bhang, a substance made up of hemp (sister plant of cannabis Sativa) which is still used as an offering to Lord Shiva one of the three holy trinities of Hinduism.
It was up until 1985 that marijuana was considered legal in the nation & the change in position was sudden & came as a shock for many Indians, especially those related to Ayurveda practices, as the base for an entire branch of medicine was banned from use.
The high & lows of cannabis
Globally it was called out that marijuana was an entry-level narcotic & was then placed under the synthetic column of mind-altering substances in the 1961 UN convention. This was backed by a study conducted by extreme prohibitionists & big pharma’s situated in the USA. The study further said that risks of marijuana consumption can lead to life-altering cases & in some cases to death but contrary to that, till now, ZERO deaths have been linked to consumption of marijuana, in contrast with the staggering statistics for alcohol & tobacco which are 114 times more injurious to health than marijuana.
Comparing marijuana to the standards of cocaine & heroin is a fact which is heavily discredited in further scientific researches. So what is the curse that is associated with it as mentioned in the beginning?
Well, being a mind-altering psychoactive substance, in cases of uncontrolled use it can lead to further use of hard drugs but this statement is also highly contested but its uncontrolled usage alters your memory & rescues motor skill heavily, especially if you consume it below the age of 25.
The highs of cannabis, pun aside, are numerous. It is a known fact that two of the main components of it are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) & cannabidiol (CBD). These two compounds are well known for their medicinal & recreational properties. CBD on its own is a wonder drug that is used in the cure of insomnia, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer, etc. THC on the other hand is a very active psychotic substance. Its uses are numerous in the medicinal sector especially catering to mental health-related issues.
As people are getting aware day today, the benefits which were hidden in darkness are seeing the light of the day. If benefits outweigh the cons related to any substance, it can be assumed that its proper use can benefit the population.
Cannabis, hemp & a potential industrial boom
Hemp is the sister plant of cannabis with a very low THC composition. It is not as potent for psychoactive use as weed but In India, it is specially used to make Bhang (an Indian intoxicating substance), its consumption is not as stigmatized as cannabis &complimenting that, it holds the key to a possible industrial boom revolving around the combination of hemp & cannabis.
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Both cannabis & hemp can be converted into more than 25,000 products if its use is regulated. All of this would in turn create a new market that is legal & the government gets the revenue in cold hard cash. The illegal market, especially around cannabis is quite large & the government is not able to curb it even after sanctions. The partial or regulated legalization for its industrial or medical usage will sure have a deep impact on the set black network, in turn, provide the government with a new market, jobs & revenue.
Both the plants have near to unlimited potential. They can be used as raw material for a range of materials like,
Medicine, clothing, biofuel, biodegradable plastic, cosmetics, food, building materials, fibers, automobiles, animal feed, paper, batteries & many more.
As can be observed the legal prospects of hemp & cannabis are boundless, provided that they are properly regulated under a strict authority. Establishing this fact is an example of various countries like Australia, China, Egypt, Chile, S. Korea, Canada, Thailand, etc. along with parts of USA, which legalized commercial or medical grade cultivation of hemp & cannabis owing to which, the market size around these two is around 90 billion to 1 trillion USD.
So, a revision in the set rules & norms is needed as it is the present call of the situation so that India can also contribute to the rising market & use the much-revered plant to the maximum of its benefit. The time to grow is now.
Tags: #ayurveda, #cannabis, #cannabiscommunity, #cbd, #cbdoil, #getgreengetgrowing, #gngagritech, #greenstories, #hemp, #weed, #yoga
