Despite modern attitudes, marijuana is definitely not a new addition to Indian culture. For generations, cannabis has played a major role in our agricultural foundation and its medicinal uses have been well documented through history. As far back as the Vedas, it was described as one of “five sacred plants”. It was said that “a guardian angel lived in its leaves”. It was considered “a source of happiness, a joy-giver, liberator that was compassionately given to humans to help us attain delight and lose fear.” But somewhere along the way we lost faith and succumbed to a globalised school of thought, one where intoxication is a sin and anything ‘alternative’ was untrustworthy.

Slowly, the world is turning around and is understanding the true nature of the cannabis plant and its many untold benefits. India, for one, is keeping up. Within the country, there has been a massive upheaval where individuals, associations, NGOs, politicians and scientific teams are joining forces in the hope that a change is possible. Many have questioned the true nature of legalisation and assumed that it’s simply an intoxicant culture on the rise, but looking beyond the recreational uses, it seems baffling that cannabis has for so long been relegated to the sidelines of our social arsenal.

Speaking of the advantages, the list is seemingly endless, though as with everything in life they each come with a counter-balance effect which has tipped the scales until now. The first is the wide application in the medical field using Cannabis Oil, but of course, that comes with the question of regulation. “I understand their stance,” says one contributor who has been working in the field for 7 years but prefers to remain anonymous, “Since cannabis oil is prepared using pure Isopropyl Alcohol to extract the oil, and 100% pure oil means that the alcohol has been evaporated completely. If this isn’t done correctly and polymers remain in the mix, the oil can be poisonous.” The inability to source pure drugs from reliable dealers has led many to succumb to the adverse effects of synthetic and artificial drugs which unlike their original counterparts have deadly repercussions. This is a concern that was shared by Patiala MP, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, an outspoken supporter of the decriminalisation of cannabis. “It appears that stricter punitive measures are not assuaging the problem, but only making it worse. This calls for a modernisation of Indian drug policy by combating the demand for drugs along with the supply of harmful substances.” It is his hope that the decriminalisation of marijuana will be the first step to breaking down the nexus of corruption and deceit surrounding the drug centres of India.

Aside from the benefits in the medical field, hemp by-products also stand to be a huge asset to India’s economy. One organisation that understands the sheer spectrum of possibilities and is using them to their advantage is BOHECO (Bombay Hemp Company). Their stance is simple, to channel the many advantages of hemp into a productive and positive future. Their scientific approach to the use of medical marijuana is very hard to deny and in fact, their extensive research in the field has been pivotal in building the solid legal defence that we have today. “We will adopt a lenient approach rather than a restrictive one. As regulators and technocrats, we are with you as long as you can scientifically prove that it is in the interest of the people of this country.” They believe in the 3-step process of ‘Education, Elevation and Cultivation’, and in accordance with their programme, they believe that regulated use of cannabis is achievable.

A huge debate that rages on within the community itself is that of legalisation vs. decriminalisation. As it stands, everyone working towards the education of society in the field seems to agree on one front that decriminalisation would be the most logical path for India. While legalization seems like the grand promise to a better future, it really isn’t. Legalising marijuana growth would allow for large pharmaceutical companies and conglomerates to capitalize on farming, leading to the loss of livelihood for many farmers who have been farming for generations. It would also make marijuana more of a capitalistic product rather than a kind of medicine provided by nature, almost rebuking the whole purpose in itself.

Decriminalization, on the other hand, seems to be a better way forward. In this way, people who are in possession of certain amounts of medicine and marijuana would not be criminally prosecuted, granting access to more people who need the medicine but are wary of the legal consequences. In addition, it opens the gates that currently block research on the subject in India. With more research, we could start eliminating the problems listed with the use of the medicine and potentially allow for pure CBD oils to enter the market, encompassing a much larger base of illness and diseases that could allegedly be managed, if not cured.

We are on the brink of a revolution and with all the changes afoot, a real change doesn’t seem too far out of reach. Aided by the work of BOHECO, states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have already made policy changes to account for the growing of medical and industrial cannabis and the rest of India isn’t far behind. Since regulation laws lie in the control of the state-level government as opposed to the centralised one, it’s going to come down to individuals pulling together to have a widespread effect.

Organisations like the Great Legalisation Movement (GLM) have taken steps towards making the issue a public concern. With marches, talks and rallies they are making an effort to educate people and initiate the set-up of government ties. Founder Viki Vaurora is well known for his vocal contribution to the conversation, be it through TED Talks or the many initiatives he spearheads under the GLM banner, like India’s first medical marijuana conference with Rick Simpson, the man credited with curing his own cancer with CBD oil, in 2015

This is one aspect in which India has already made huge leaps, though cannabis culture is often seen to fly in the face of lawmakers, it is, in fact, their continued support that is bolstering the movement. For example, Tathagata Satpathy, a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP from Odisha attended a sitting of the Lok Sabha wearing a hemp kurta designed by BOHECO in an attempt to illustrate the many uses of cannabis cultivation. It is this kind of understanding and acceptance among the upper levels of the legal framework that is expediting this process.

As of today, the forefront is putting up a united front, despite internal debates, when it comes to standing up and presenting a strong case for decriminalisation of cannabis they are excelling. The government at many levels is bowing to the logic of their petitions and with every new research project that finds footing, we ascend a step towards a new future. But while the political agenda is the driving force right now, they have also maintained a lock on the eventual goal, for the ‘plant to be the leader’. For an ancient and revered herb to once again find a space in the globalised allopathic community where it can truly make a difference and save lives is the true win, we can’t wait to see!

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