by Weed Legalization In India? Delhi is the third largest consumer of weed in the world after New York and Karachi. There is no other country like India where weed has been such an integral part of religion and society. A lot of research papers suggest that the medicinal benefits of marijuana can be used as a treatment against psychosis and anxiety. So why do we have so much stigma around weed in India?
Most smokers of Delhi consume 38,260 kg of ganja every year. Mumbai is sixth in the ranking, which consumes 32,380 kg of ganja every year. And all of this is illegal in India. If weed is legalized in our country then, our government can actually earn a lot of revenue which might just help boost our GDP.
An average joint = 0.32 gram, 1 gram = 3 joints, and if you do the math, Delhi rolls 114 million joints and Mumbai rolls 97 million Joints are blown every year. And all of this is obviously not legal. There is no other country like India where weed has been such an integral part of religion and society.
In Atharva Veda, weed is described as something that brings joy. Lord Shiva is mostly seen with a chillum. Most of the sadhus and pir babas communicate with God via communal smoking sessions. Bhang thandai is a mandatory drink on Holi and Shivratri. Bhang is one of the strains of cannabis, by the way. So why do we have so much stigma around weed in our country?
We are not in any manner saying that we should legalize it right now. My aim is to just talk about both sides of the argument and leave it open for a healthy discussion.
So cannabis and its various derivatives have been illegal in India only since 1985, with the passing of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act. This happened because of two reasons. First was our commitment to an International treaty on Narcotics. And second, was the pressure by the United States for participation in their ‘War On Drugs’. It means that instead of regulating its supply, like an economic commodity, we conveniently brushed aside the topic from the public sphere, which resulted in this taboo around weed.
Fast forward to today. Social awareness campaigns like the Great Legalization Movement have been trying to educate the masses about the medicinal benefits of marijuana. Also support from politicians such as Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, BJP MP Maneka Gandhi, and BJD MP Tathagata Satpathy, for legalizing weed for medicinal use has garnered quite a lot of attention.
So a lot of people say that weed can make you psychotic. Which is not entirely wrong. But there is a catch to it. Tetra Hydro Cannabinol Or THC is the main psychoactive compound in weed, which gives us the feeling of being ‘high’. And there is evidence that THC is related to psychosis somehow.
There is another substance in weed called CBD or Cannabidiol which is non-psychoactive. This means that CBD can cancel out THC’s euphoric-at-times-psychosis-inducing high. However, the recreational strains of weed that are available these days have high levels of THC and very low levels of CBD. Because of this, you get a really good ‘high’. But because of this, people who are already dealing with depression anxiety, or some sort of PTSD, can have severe panic attacks or psychotic episodes.
So that’s why you need a good amount of CBD in your weed strain. CBD also helps in relieving chronic pain, can help in the recovery of cancer patients, treat depression, and help people with epilepsy and Attention Deficit Disorder as well. And also the argument that weed is a ‘gateway drug’ to other hard drugs, is not entirely supported by science. I think our society has somehow made it a ‘gateway drug‘.
A lot of research studies suggest that, only 9% of those who use marijuana end up being severely addicted to it. As compared to alcohol and tobacco, which are 32% and 15% respectively. So in recent years, marijuana has been legalized in some form or the other across most of the US, many European countries, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Portugal, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, and many others. The total worldwide market of legal and illegal cannabis is around $344 billion. And the global market for legal cannabis is expected to reach $145 billion by 2025.
You know, legalizing marijuana might just help ease the agrarian crisis in our country and boost our GDP as well. In the Netherlands, marijuana contributes $3.4 billion annually to their GDP. According to reports, 60,000 kgs of hash and 40,000 kgs of opium are produced in Himachal Pradesh alone, in a year. Out of that, only 500 kgs is seized every year.
Now you can imagine how much the illegal peddlers would be profiting. To maximize profits, these peddlers mix a lot of weird chemicals in weed or hash strains. Which can actually end up screwing a lot of people.
And if it’s legalized, the government can actually maintain the standard, which will not adversely affect people’s health. I think it’s important to make a distinction between legalization, decriminalization, and commercialization of marijuana. While legalization and decriminalization of weed are mostly used in the legal context, commercialization of weed relates to the business side of it. And this is where our government can make inroads. If India’s government acts smartly, legalizing weed might just do a lot more good than harm.
Yes, I’m thinking aloud. But tell me, do you think marijuana should be legalized in India? Let’s have a discussion on it.
Disclaimer: The aim of this article is to educate the audience and not promote substance abuse.
