The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday, proposes to fix “errors”. The apparent decriminalization of marijuana for personal use is long overdue. While India’s 1985-enacted law allowed such an exception to its broad ban on the narcotic, given our centuries-old tradition of cannabis use by religious devotees, its vague wording on the drug left it open to harsh interpretations. Granted, as evidenced by our dismal record of its misuse by law enforcers. Recently, the son of a top filmmaker was embroiled in a legal provision that could have easily been tweaked to accuse a user of being a peddler. The sale of marijuana by private entities has been illegal all these years, with only a few government outlets allowed to sell small packets of it to consumers. Therefore, recovery of a few grams from anyone is not an indication of any offence. Clarity on this aspect of the law would be welcome. If it ends the ugly oppression of people with stuff that is increasingly recognized as relatively harmless, it will free our judiciary from an unnecessary burden.
Many countries have liberalized their policy on marijuana, the ban on which is gradually being accepted as a collateral result of the US-led ‘War on Drugs’, which indiscriminately negatived nearly all psychoactive agents. took the approach. While the THC content of this plant is a narcotic that induces a ‘high’, it also contains a compound called cannabidiol (CBD) that medical research has used in a wide range of treatments. For example, multiple sclerosis patients may benefit from therapeutic drugs derived from this herb, and it may also help control pain, seizures, and other ailments. As for its overall effects, expert opinion in recent years has tilted the view that, while we consider addiction in itself to be legal, marijuana does not harm adults to the extent that justifies excluding its use. Is. Evidence that it is physically addictive, especially compared to hard drugs and alcohol, is rare. Some aspects of the health risks of weed are still being studied. For example, causality has not yet been proven for the observed correlation with certain psychiatric disorders, but there is suspicion that these conditions may be dealt with by people in other ways rather than using it. Nevertheless, since it is no longer widely recognized as no worse than alcohol by many scientific evaluations, several jurisdictions in the US and elsewhere have lifted restrictions on its use for medical and/or recreational purposes. Last week, the Global Commission on Drugs, a panel of leaders and thinkers, called on countries to regulate rather than ban cannabis (and narcotics). That said, the sanctions have failed. Regulation deserves a chance.
Behind the curve of cannabis liberalization has been Indian policy. A vague law was turned into an extortion device, used by unscrupulous police to search for pot smokers, even though the diverse renouncers of the physical world faced no such danger; After all, it finds mention in ancient Indian texts as a favorite of the deity. As what has been considered taboo since the time of the Raj was apparently a Western creation, it is no small irony that the West has flagged markets for cannabis products. Here too, its commercial cultivation can offer more than medicinal value. Hemp fiber has myriad applications. However, easing regulations on its direct consumption will help us reach advanced markets if it makes room for cafes serving select weeds, as seen in many healthiest cities abroad.
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