Cannabis: A Myth-Buster
Cannabis is no more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco.
The derivatives of the cannabis plant are known by many names – marijuana, weed, pot, ganja, charas, hashish and more. They have a socio-religious association in India dating back hundreds of years. Is it fair to club it with hard drugs like heroin and cocaine? Is it more harmful to a person or his/her surroundings than socially and legally accepted like that of alcohol or tobacco? If cannabis is illegal then why is bhang legal? What is CBD oil? All these questions and more need to be answered.
Part of Indian culture
India has a strong history of using cannabis for religious, cultural and recreational purposes. The Atharva Veda describes the cannabis plant as one of the five kingdoms of herbs that lower distress.
Bhang is also consumed with gusto during Mahashivratri and Holi. While marijuana and hashish were earlier sold through government shops, they are now banned.
In colonial India, the use of these traditional intoxicants was sought to be denounced by the British who wanted to create a market for their own produce, Scotch whiskey. J M Campbell, who led the Indian Hemp drugs Commission, wrote in 1893-94, “To forbid or restrict the use of so gracious a herb as hemp would cause widespread suffering and annoyance and to large bands of worshiped ascetics, deep-seated anger.”
Before 1985, cannabis was legal in India
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1985, was enacted to curb the usage and dealing of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Until 1985, all cannabis derivatives – marijuana (grass or ganja), hashish (charas) and bhang – were legally sold in India. For 25 years india withstood American pressure to keep marijuana legal, after the US began to campaign for a worldwide law against all drugs, hard and soft, following the adoption of the Single Convention on Narcotic drugs in 1961. Given that ganja, charas and bhang were a way of life in India, this met with opposition. But by the early ‘80’s, American society was grappling with drug problems, and opinion – and pressure – had hardened. In 1985, the government buckled and enacted the NDPS Act.
Ironically, the global perception of cannabis has seen a turnaround, with many US states and dozens of countries decriminalising cannabis for medical or recreational use.
Marijuana is less addictive and harmful than alcohol and tobacco: studies
OVERDOSE:
You can binge-drink yourself to death, but you can’t fatally overdose on pot. When you consume too much alcohol, it can be fatal. But the number of deaths caused by marijuana is almost zero. A study found that a fatal dose of THC, the potent chemical in marijuana, would be between 15 to 70 grams. A typical joint contains about half a gram of marijuana, so one would have to smoke between 238 and 1113 joints in a day to overdose on marijuana.
LONG TERM EFFECTS:
YThe long term effects of heavy drinking are well known and are linked to alcoholic liver disease, several types of cancers, cirrhosis and liver failure, and heart disease. Unlike alcohol, the effects of chronic marijuana use are not well-established.
Since the drug is typically smoked, it can bring on issue related to smoking, but unlike the case of tobacco, current research shows no linkage between smoking marijuana and lung cancer.
Scientists have linked alcohol consumption with long-term changes to the structure of the brain. The use of marijuana, however, seems to have no significant long-term effects on brain structure.
Studies have shown cannabis to be less addictive than alcohol, and even caffeine.
VIOLENCE AND CRIME
YA study in UK showed that heroin, crack cocaine and meth were the most harmful drugs to individuals, whereas alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine were the most harmful to others. Overall, alcohol was the most harmful drug.
The Journal Addictive Behaviours noted more than a decade ago that “alcohol is clearly the drug with the most evidence to support a direct intoxication-violence relationship,” and that “cannabis reduses likelihood of violence during intoxication.
A recent study looking at US states that have legalised medical marijuana found that it causes no increase in crime, and reduced the incidence of some violent crimes.
A study found that men who used marijuana were the least likely to commit an act of intimate partner violence against a spouse.
Priya Mishra-Activist
Priya Mishra, an activist who has been campaigning for the legalisation of cannabis and founder of Hempvati, which works towards raising awareness about the herb, told us in 2019, “The biggest hurdle in legalising cannabis is public perception”. Despite studies done by Oxford and other reputed institutions showing that this plant is very beneficial in the field of medicine, and is not as addictive or harmful as narcotic drugs, negative perceptions continue. I have had people ask me, “Why do you want to legalise it? Do you want our children to be drug addicts? But that’s not how it is. Cannabis has not just recreational usage, but also industrial and medical. In India, it has religious usage too, as it’s used in rituals and the law permits that. That’s how you get bhang on Holi. It’s high time the law changed.
Senior advocate Geeta Luthra
It is not comparable to harder drugs like LSD or cocaine, the banning of which is justifiable. While it can’t be dismissed that marijuana may have long-term side effects, the same can be said for alcohol and nicotine. Marijuana use is less harmful than cigarette smoking and alcohol, and doesn’t have any more of an addictive quality than alcohol and cigarettes.
Categories of drugs
Based on their usage, drugs are divided in three categories – soft drugs (marijuana and hashish), party drugs (MDMA, LSD) and hard drugs (heroin, crystal meth and cocaine)
Heroin is one of the harshest drugs that has mental and physical manifestation. Extremely addictive and the withdrawal is a painful process. Requires clinical rehab, therapy.
Cocaine is highly addictive. But the physical effect is less than heroin. It causes behavioural changes. Requires clinical rehab, therapy.
Party of recreational drugs like MDMA, LSD etc are used mostly for mood alteration for a few hours. If used consistently, can cause long term damage such as depression, anxiety, loss of appetite. Requires therapy, counselling.
Marijuana and hashish are considered soft drugs. If used for many years, these might have psychological and physical effects. Can be managed by counselling, lifestyle changes.
CBD oil: A wellness fad, but doesn’t get you “high”
Both hemp and marijuana are varieties of the cannabis plant. Marijuna is rich in THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component; it can account for more than 40% of the total cannabinoid content. Hemp, on the other hand, is richer in CBD, and generally contains only 0.3% THC OR less. Unlike THC, CBD won’t get you “high”. “You don’t get a high from CBD, no matter how much you take”, said Sumner Burstein, an emeritus professor of biochemistry and molecular pharmacology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It is also not addictive, but there is a possibility CBD will interact poorly or interfere with other medications., he said. The World Health organisation has declared it non-addictive.
The latest ‘wellness’ ingredient, CBD Can now be found in everything from skin cream to protein powders and even intimate lubricants. The oil is used for general wellbeing support, similar to omega-3 fish oil or vitamin supplements, and also for more specific issues, ranging from pain to anxiety, stress and period pain. While the product shows promise and the international market for it is quickly growing, a lot of research still needs to be done.
Kim Kardashian West turned to the product when “freaking out” over the birth of her fourth baby via surrogacy – she even had a CBD themed baby shower. Martha Stewart’s French bulldog partakes too. Jennifer Aniston loves beauty products made with it. Mike Tyson offers a cannabidiol-infused water. Even Oscar goody bags have CBD-infused products.
Is CBD oil legal? It’s grey
Even though CBD Oil doesn’t result in a high, since it’s a cannabis product, many people are confused about it’s legality. CBD oil with very low THC content (0.3% or lower) is allowed in most countries, including USA, Canada, Australia, the UK and most of Europe. In India, it’s a grey area, even though several online stores sell it.
Advocate Sandeep Ladda says, “Use or purchase of any extract of cannabis as defined in Sec 2(ii) sec 20 of the NDPS Act is prohibited. It is a cognizable offence irrespective of quantity. If a person dealing with commercial quantity without license then it’s non-bailable and punishable for 10 years. However, if you buy a small quantity for medicinal purpose with prescription and from sellers with license, you will not be charged under the NDPS Act.” However, the problem is that most online sellers do not have an NRx mark, a sign that the THC content is less than 0.3%.
Cannabis product bhang is legal in India.
Bhang, which is made using the leaves of the cannabis plant, has close ties to the worship of shiva and is also consumed during Holi across Inida, either in thandai or in sweets. The sale and consumption of bhang is permitted since the NDPS act specifically prohibits the sale and production of cannabis resins and flowers, the use of leaves, from which bhang is made, is allowed.
There are drugs, and drugs!
The above write-up has been adapted from “Bombay Times”, a supplement of “The Times of India”, a newspaper, dated October 10, 2020.
Stoners coming out – beyond the marijuana
monster myths | David Schmader | TEDxRainier
The surprising connection between cannabis
and mind-body health | Elise Keller | TEDxWindsor
The Potential Benefits of Medical
Marijuana | Dr. Alan Shackelford | TEDxCincinnati
0 thoughts on “Cannabis: A Myth-Buster”