Cannabis: India's Decriminalization Debate

Cannabis: India’s Decriminalization Debate Aishwariya Srinagesh Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts Symbiosis International University Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Liberal Arts) at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts ABSTRACT Cannabis within the Indian subcontinent found its importance in the development of Indian culture. Its pertinence to the sect of Indian society whose opinion was considered the epitome of successful existence allowed for local use to transcend internationally opening the worlds’ eyes to a spiritual enlightenment and the possibility for recreational use, deviating from the medical and commercial applications. Ca a is u h like it’s e uall o ile a d fa ous i d altering counterpart in circulation, opium, were eventually faced with extensive assessment. Short and long term side effects of opium usage were slowly revealed to be catastrophic not only to the user, but society. Worldwide utilization of mind altering substances needed to be regulated; including those with potential for side effects on similar scales and with it, the defamed name of cannabis consumption universally was borne. Within India, cultural significance evolved into religious significance. Hinduism acted as the platform for national identity and even with the British Imperialist rule who conducted the studies India felt no need for, validated no long term negative implications on the users themselves or those they interacted with. However permanently negative stances were already being taken by countries who e e ’t depe da t o a a is e po ts fo thei e o o i sta ilit , asi g thei de isio s o hypothetical possibilities for the development of regressive behavior in terms of their societal values. India was faced with the difficult decision of implementing a ban on a substance their people had grown to respect despite its recreational use. 1971 saw the gavel pound, Rajeev Gandhi had no choice but to implement choice criminalization of utilization of the cannabis plant while legal procedures made legal growth and possession for livelihood purposes extremely inconvenient. The cannabis plant, dividing into three strains with varying THC to CBD chemical ratios within its biological composition have no doubt created reason for speculation and need for scrutiny, however its sole di t a ijua a ide tit is u dese ed. The ode o ld has de ided a a is legalizatio legislation needs to be actively pursued; Colorado making landmark strides paved legitimate grounds for I dia’s u e t a ti e pu suit. “u ess is loo i g. I dia’s f eedo is soo to e esto ed. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all the people who’ve helped and supported me supported me while writing this seminar paper First I’d like to thank my family especially my mother who really is my role model and kept me motivated in times of weakness and celebrated with me during times of accomplishment, without her love and guidance I wouldn’t be where I am today. My father, for encouraging me to embrace my creativity and pushed me to learn how to utilize it and my sisters for contributing wherever they could, but more than that for giving me the confidence to follow my passion and encouraging it. I’d also like to thank my friends Ankit Bose who contributed more than he could to ensure its completion. Desiree D’sa, who despite being so far away was my motivation to complete the report. Ammar Petiwala, for contributing to the study with insight and providing me with inspiration and finally I’d like to thank my mentor; Sanjeevani Thakur for pointing me in the right direction and providing me with the motivation to finish the paper. Lastly I’d like to thank Symbiois School for Liberal Arts for bringing the opportunity to write this paper to me, with a special thank you to Director Patankar who pointed me in the right direction. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 CHAPTERS INTRODUCTION 6 THE THC DIFFERENCE 7 INDIA’S SPIRITUAL HERB 9 THE IMPERIALIST REGIME 12 THE WESTS’ WAR ON DRUGS 14 THE NARCOTICS DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES ACT, 1985 17 THE DAWN OF ACCEPTANCE AND CHANGE 18 CONCLUSION 21 BIBLIOGRAPHY 23 APPENDIX 25 “The “innocent hero”, as opposed to its “evil cousin”, is one of the most underutilized crops in the world only due to unfortunate matters such as misplaced ideologies and societal mindsets” – Bombay Hemp Company INTRODUCTION The descent from the Paleolithic era into the Neolithic revolution saw the development of sustainability. In terms of survival, the development for sustainable agriculture was brought to light and in turn the harvesting of readily available crops that could in turn be utilized to produce more of the same. The agricultural revolution of China dated 6000BC brought to light the historic utilization of the Cannabis plant, initially as seeds for consumption and by 4000BC the harnessing of the plant for its textile uses with the creation of hemp. Emperor Shen-Nung (2700 BC) took to the harnessing of plants to hunt for possible cures to ailments faced by his people, and with it compiled a medical encyclopedia solidifying the basis for the medical uses of cannabis. By the second century, China had experimented with the medical potential of the cannabis plant enough to gauge the anesthetic potential for use. The psycho-active properties of the cannabis plant weren’t discovered till its utilization in India and with it, the use of its temporary mind-altering attribute gained popularity through religious and medicinal use. THE THC DIFFERENCE The Ancient Greeks were first to experiment with the psych-active properties of the drug socially. The poet Homer explains the plants arrival from Egypt in 5BC led to copious production of hemp which was cultivated through the usage of hot stones in closed rooms collaterally releasing vapors. Herodotus noted that the cultivators were more inclined to exhibit “open” behavior, unlike the Greeks who relied on wine, the Scynthians made merry upon inhalation of fumes caused by placing fruits from the cannabis plant onto fires. Identifiable uses of the cannabis plant divide then between commercial, medicinal, spiritual and recreational usage. The utilization of the cannabis plant for each use is determined by the part of the plant harnessed; the stalk of the plant cultivated for fibers, the seeds harnessed for consumption or by-product creation on a commercial scale and the flowers, leaves and buds for psycho-active properties. The chemical compounds within the plant create two substances in at a larger measure, with only one having the mind altering effect known as THC. While concentration of the chemical is determined within the use certain parts of the plant, the overall judgment of THC content is determined by the strain. 20th century identified three strains that organically resulting in different measurements of THC content. Initially the plant was identified as monotypic landing all cannabis plants under the Cannabis Sativa label. As cannabis was primarily used for its hemp, the differentiation occurred upon understanding of the plant indigenous to India producing substandard quality fibers in comparison to the plants found in Europe and contained stronger psycho-active potency. The introduction of Cannabis Indica as a strain brought forth segregation of use, as the THC potency levels created further scope for medical usage along with the understanding of India’s spiritual uses for the plant. The third strain was identified in Russia during the 1920s with the assessment of the large wild Cannabis growth, while debate occurred as to whether the plant discovered was a sub-strain of the above two or a completely different strain. Cannabis ruderalis was established as a unique strain as the sporadic growth limited to Central Asia created short supply and upon further study yielded crops with psycho-active compounds strong enough for medical use in comparison to the other strains. The measurement of THC content to the other dominant chemical compound CBD segregated the strains in terms of impact on the brain. Cannabis Sativa identified with dominant THC compounds for its “cerebral high” effect as per the Scythian utility while Cannabis Indica with a higher CBD to THC ratio created a more subdued feeling of almost sedation with its impact on cannabinoid receptors within the brain. While both have medical application, the utilization divides between numbing properties or increased receptivity on the cannabinoid receptors that deal with the processing of appetite, pain, memory and mood. INDIA’S SPIRITUAL HERB The foundation of India’s cultural development stems from one of the oldest scriptures thought to be compiled by those learned through intense periods of meditation and spiritual enlightenment for societal application. The Vedas described the foundation for Hinduism through the depiction of the might of gods and goddesses and methods in which to appease them. Rituals, chants and ceremonies were established as a means of encouraging divine intervention based on the gods or goddesses who possessed the ability to affect dominant parts of daily life. The pertinence of spirituality and the establishment of methods to achieve formed the basis for the significance of cannabis within the country. The availability of the cannabis plant in abundance within the Indian subcontinent clustered around the north western Himalaya mountain ranges which contained the highest peaks within the country. The distance from the heavens coupled with the unhampered natural surroundings and uninhabitable conditions created the perfect location for those dedicated to spiritual enlightenment and as a result sages flocked to the site. The Vedas in turn were strongly influenced by the sages understanding of the mountains leading to the eventual introduction of the significance of mind altering properties occurring naturally in plants. The ability to naturally alter perception was looked at as divine intervention and use was established as an offering known as Soma. The text explained the use of a green or yellow plant with tall stalks pulverized and mixed with established consumable ingredients (cow’s milk in particular) to create a means to immortality and mental and physical development fit only for consumption of the gods. Later texts explain Bhangi as one of five spiritually significant plants in cohesion with its significance explained through its accidental discovery by Lord Shiva during a time of emotional distress and consuming the leaf out of curiosity. The association of mental relief to the psycho-active properties of a plant propagated by the dominance of religion and spirituality over Indian society was solidified as cannabis with the development of technology in the 3rd century. Bhanga, as the term developed, was identifiably available in abundance and with the utilization of technological developments more methods and uses for the plant were identified. Cannabis gained notoriety as a result of its durable fiber discovery and application for rope and cord, medical utility as a cure for short term ailments such as inflammation and digestive issues through ingestion and inhalation of fumes created by burning the plant proving the ability to alter mental states for practical personal benefit. India then began to take note of biological attributes of the plant and its purposeful application identifying female plants (Bhanga) as better for fiber yield and male plants (Bhang) with more potent psycho-active properties for medicinal use. The physical and mental rejuvenation effects of cannabis usage became more apparent through the inclusion of ailments stemming from the mind like pain and enhancement of mental states such as euphoria culminating in extensive documentation of tantric utilization during the 7th century as a complement India’s acceptance of sexual interactions. The Kama Sutra publication, India’s most famous literature, validated sexual practices as a part of healthy development and the importance of pleasure for successful interactions for both parties, endorsing the aphrodisiac side-effects of consumption. The importance of cannabis utility and identification of variants affecting the crops growth were documented in an anonymous publication entitled Anandakanda explaining in detail not only ideal methods of cultivation and processing but also the application of cannabis in cohesion with other medicinal herbs prolonged disease free life while mitigating the negative side effects of aging. The application would yield results in three years of use, however, isolation and celibacy were stated as determining factors for its success adding a health benefit to others of the sage lifestyles. India’s approach to cannabis was simultaneously developing through outward interactions as a result of trade. Chinese trade introduced the Opium drug to India and with it, the benchmark to assess chemical interference and in turn recognition of narcotic potential was established with the ability of both drugs to hamper negative behaviors or enhance positive ones. Cannabis, however, needed to be consumed in cohesion with other medicinal herbs and plants in order for benefits to be visible. India’s social and religious development occurred hand in hand instituting knowledge and spirituality as complementary. As a result, the population veered towards spiritual enlightenment and the option of psycho-active substances facilitating the valued development. No information was available about the side-effects of utilization; however the development of technology and trade relations brought India to the realization the fiber and medicinal classification of the plant held varying levels of yield within themselves. Fiber crop differentiation would be based on the ability to yield better quality and a larger quantity in comparison to other members of the sub-species. Evaluation of varying degrees of chemical levels in comparison to levels needed to treat or address specific medicinal uses would standardize efficient medical usage. Spiritual users could not do the same. The only identification for success is the engagement of the psycho-active effect. While there is no denying beneficial applicability of the cannabis plant, the implementation of British rule formed India’s first educated assessment of the substance forcing the masses into complete consumer consciousness. THE IMPERIALIST REGIME The development of modern medicine within India began to render the medical uses for the plant as not as effective as results could be. During Muslim imperialist rule, the identification as the poor man’s relief gained traction while simultaneously an educated analysis of utilization was being compiled. Sir William B. O’Shaughnessy began this analysis in 1839 with understanding of the Indian preparations of the cannabis plant; bhang (matured cannabis leaves), ganja (the unfertilized flowers) and charas (cannabis resin). The preparations potency was understood through trials conducted on dogs that developed into human testing to create science based regulatory standards of use and with it beneficial use as muscle-relaxants and antispasmodic came to light. The analysis explained the use of cannabis to be the introduction of much needed psychological de-sensitivity that could be applied to cure ailments whose treatment would otherwise reinforce the distress the patient was already undergoing. Neuro-pathic pain could now be mitigated with use of cannabis and the information backing the claim was readily available while offering physical remedies highlighted by the use to cure headaches that accompanied the aftermath of alcohol consumption and rampant diseases such as cholera. The west had already been experimenting with the plant using it for child birth and uterine bleeding however, their assessment of Indian usage was limited to the “high” caused from consumption and therefore the rate at which the plant was being consumed needed to be assessed for any change to be implemented if needed. A detailed report from Bengal surfaced in 1877 explaining in detail all the information gathered about use in India with the conclusion cutting off cannabis use not having any adverse effects on the development of human ethics and morality on the people. The study having been compiled through western understanding of society was fueled by adverse effects of positive stimulation of the mind being documented by the rest of the western world. Its use was not only potent enough to soothe the brain, but the effects on the cannabinoid receptors were drastic enough to create happiness and the need to eat all the time despite their current infliction therefore the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission was formed by the government with help from Indian professionals to assess the situation thoroughly and a report was compiled in 1894. The study contained over 1200 testimonies constituting a 3000 page document assessing not the benefits that had been clearly explained but looked for adverse effects caused by consumption. The conclusion to the study brought distinct use divided into affecting physical, mental and moral natures. Physical use, in moderation, was to cause to elevation of any existing physical conditions. However much like excessive use of a substance with psycho-active properties, weakening of the immune system making it more susceptible to incurring ailment is expected. The uses in a country like India where cannabis mitigates malaria and where exposure is rampant to other maladies, habitual use would prove to be extremely successful. Mentally, unless used in a situation where adverse effects are genetically predisposed, moderate uses are also positive with excessive use culminating in mental instability. Morally, consumption was proved to have no adverse effects on ones’ mindset however, excessive use could result in a likelihood to no longer regulate inclinations to actions that could cause harm to society and oneself. Therefore it became safely understood that moderate cannabis consumption was beneficial to the all-round development of Indian society and even adverse effects would come into play only with excessive consumption that would culminate in problems occurring only to the user at extremes. It wasn’t till Western political systems began to enforce criminalization systems that any kind of legal action was decided on in India in terms of cannabis regulation. The war on drugs had begun; cannabis was clubbed in, what was India to do? THE WESTS WAR ON DRUGS The trajectory of travel of the Cannabis plant (Appendix 1) stemmed, in majority, from the Chinese silk route of trade pushing the plant into the Middle East and Europe. While documented uses were already brought to light, the intensity of the distribution patterns exponentially increased with the development of trade and the realization of lands ideal for cannabis cultivation. Travels to fertile agricultural lands in Africa and South America expanded the base for cannabis availability and with it, the cannabis education scientifically and through observation gained consciousness. By 1853, America had accepted the stance of cannabis as a psycho-active substance and with it, popularity as being fashionable. The substance was available in smaller quantities only to those wealthy enough to afford it and wealthy enough to allow themselves to give into the psycho-active state. Lifestyle magazine, Harpers Bazaar, noted in 1883, the existence of hashishhouses frequented in large by the wealthy and famous however it was the onset of the 20th century that spurned the maligned name of Cannabis we see today. Hemp cigarettes were popularly used by Mexican soldiers and with the resistance movement brewing, cannabis use gained notoriety along with increased rates of immigration into the United States. While medical and fiber application was the basis for cannabis utilization accepted by society, Mexico, much like most agriculture dependant states reaped the psycho-active uses more freely than others. Crime rates in America increased and Mexican immigrants were identified as of more lax a moral stance than present day America required. The platform for the war on Cannabis was developed with Utah catalyzing the movement with its criminalization laws in 1915 with 29 states following suit by the 1930s. The International Opium Convention of 1912 was the first international recognition of opium as having addiction potential and adverse side effects that needed to be stopped. The Chinese Silk Road trading routes had already been chocked full of opium use and from it any divination developed needed to be identified and creation halted unanimously. The basis of the treaty was to ban all substances that needed to be controlled and within its scope, cannabis was brought to light in 1925 as a revision to the treaty. Unlike opium, whose sole production yielded more negative results than positive, cannabis also saw regulations develop. All non-medical application of the plant was banned and cannabis could only travel and be used with documentation identifying its scientific or medical use. The 1930’s saw the creation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) in America campaigning against the use of all mind altering substances within the country including cannabis and the Uniform State Narcotic act with the convention treaty as the basis. The corner stone for the anti-cannabis platform was its portrayal as a gateway drug to harder more adverse affecting substances. The rules and restrictions developed more stringently with even medical and scientific cannabis growers facing harsh taxations and restrictions. America began veering away from any acceptance of all mind altering substances no matter what their benefits were; cannabis was looked at a liability, if available, no matter what the context and slowly became a quiet symbol of release from the constraints of societal development. The notion gained momentum with the hippie movement of the 1960s who abundantly smoked organic cannabis and harnessed psych-tropic or psycho-active drugs as a release from the political and social turmoil development had pushed upon them. The 1960’s saw change on a global scale with the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs treaty specifying the variants of all available drugs and criminalizing them unless specific medical or research licenses were allocated in order to curb drug production and their international and national distribution. The convention was political and economic power play; while the opium poppy ban was already strongly active in China, India and all other agriculture based countries distributing cannabis were at a biased disadvantage irrespective of how the plant was used. The convention essentially comprised of all industrial developed states who wanted regulation, fueled by states who internally favored the ban with their power imposing bans and restrictions on the predominantly agriculture based states sourcing the substance in question regardless of impacts on their economies. The Soviet Union firmly took the stance the issues are internal and offered no help in the matter despite not propagating anti-cannabis action within their country. India, much like Pakistan, Burma and the Horn of Africa had to accept they had no bargaining power and had to resort to loopholes and language exceptions within the treaty to keep economic effects active though at a mere fraction of what it was. Should they not, they’d be faced with trade sanctions, the halt of foreign direct investment and other economic sanctions, much in line with the United Nations stance on countries that openly fail to be “obedient”. India’s historic significance of cannabis utilization was ignored, and as a compromise, exports of hemp were curbed not halted. The definition of Cannabis under this treaty explained only criminalizing use of the flowers and buds for resin, leaving leaf use in Bhang consumption untouched. The country was given 25 years to get their substance regulations in order and follow the path America had laid forth, eventually India gave in entirely. THE NARCOTIC DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES ACT, 1985 The NDPS act was a culmination of UN pressure faced by Rajeev Gandhi at a time India was facing turmoil with violent anti-sikh movements. The irony of the situation being within America, decriminalizing legislation was gaining momentum; the first pro-reform conference was held in the country’s capital city in 1971, America’s first state decriminalized the plant in 1973, Robert Randal (a capital city native) became the first legal cannabis patient in 1975 culminating in 11 states following decriminalizing of possession with the dawn of President Reagan in 1980. Within the act, the definition for cannabis was established as resin and by products of resin (charas) and the flowering or fruiting (ganja) in any variant of the same as criminally liable for action while utilization of the seeds and stems were not. The act also provided with restricted numbers of licenses offering cultivation rights for fixed time periods along with the provision for price received by the cultivators to be altered by the government body “from time to time”. The act criminalized un-regulated production, possession, sale, purchase, transport, importation and exportation. The act gave the government all the authority to mandate cannabis in all aspects with the same authority the American government did except the utilization of the leaves and seeds which were already widely consumed during the rituals of the Indian festival Holi. The Indian perception of cannabis was undergoing serious change from its onset. The west had identified its use as one only indulged in by upperclassmen that could afford the financial cost and could incur influence on their optimum productivity, while India was coming to the realization cannabis was affordable and openly indulged in by “lower classes of society”, fueled by the sample used by the 1891 study, and economic development at this stage of the country could not afford any influence by mental states. Cannabis lost its prestige with the rise of capitalism within the country and there became no need for the change that was now instituted. Illegal substances within the country were still going to be widely used, just under the same circumstances as Harpers Bazaars depiction of hashish houses in New York but cannabis was no longer the substance of choice. The cannabis crop only became a source of debate after the legalization of use in America and the benefits that were seen not from fiber applicability, or progress on the medicinal front, but the mitigation of the stigma attached to recreational cannabis use and intrinsically how India could benefit from the all round acceptance of cannabis use under different contexts than what history had established. THE DAWN OF ACCEPTANCE AND CHANGE With hemp cultivation still legal, the process to procure licensing for cannabis growth becomes tedious and as a result discourages farmers from pursuing its agricultural benefits along with the risk of police raids under narcotic pretences. India’s first annual HEMP conference held at New Delhi in 2014 in order to sustainably and viably address, openly the question of commercial cannabis consumption. The conference held 1st December brought to light the “Green Future” objectives of countries like China, Germany, Italy, Canada and the United States of America to push Hemp production and utilization of its by-products. Hemp has proven to have various industrial uses, not limited to, paper, textiles, and bio-degradable plastics and on a more commercial frontier it could be used in food and cosmetic products. India’s hemp textile industry has the scope to develop at least to a 2,400,000,000 rupee industry borne solely of agricultural harnessing. With 60% of India’s population still dependent on agriculture for survival and contributed 18% to the country’s GDP in 2014, the 43% of India’s land used for the primary sector prove that India is in need of an easy to grow and maintain cash crop; cannabis offers the answer. BOHECO (Bombay Hemp Company), founded in 2013, is India’s first large scale commercial step towards exploring the plethora of potential cannabis has to offer within India. The company built on the foundation of fulfilling the three life basics (food; hemp oil, proteins and seeds, clothing; organic clothing line dubbed “The Hemp Couture” and shelter; bio-crete, sustainable building materials) offers a model incorporating all stakeholders communicating and assisting the development of a sustainable eco-business. Universities and agriculture research institutes locally offer insight on effective and efficient methods for local farmers and rural communities to implore and with harnessing taken over by a separate firm who could source the product through B2B links or chose the a commercial B2C route, all those partaking work in unison to create a fluid system. The company has received extensive support from International Organizations, representing India in the World Hemp Congress held in Slovenia (2014) and locally, with the support of district Prime Minister to Odisha, Tathagatha Satpathy, who openly views the cannabis criminalization laws as harsh and in need of rational reform. BOHECO’s extensive research into geographic sustainability of cannabis growth narrowed it down to plants organically developing for seed and fibrous use throughout the country with properties yielding as much as 400 – 600 kilograms of seed per acre. The company’s extended its base, since inception, into body products and bio-technology offering not only a mountain of products but a source of job opportunities that requires every skill set India, as a nation, readily contains in abundance. In terms of THC content, with all products identified as between 0 to 0.3% in content the products for industrial and commercial use yield no potential problem. However, much like District Prime Minister to Odisha mentions, the cannabis ban being elitist. Much like previously discussed the clear links to cannabis consumption on a recreational front quickly developed into an elitist accepted substance and quickly turned into something looked down upon despite its cultural significance. While cannabis cultivation is legalized in the state of Uttarakhand, plants potency ranges between 4 – 5% which could pose issues later, the question then becomes why India is still criminalizing recreational usage, potential general cultivation problems would be impending. Within the United States, pro-cannabis change has taken leaps by masses and bounds. In particular, the state of Colorado, where cannabis consumption in entirety was legalized the numbers read a 10% decrease in burglaries, 3% decrease in robberies and a 10% decrease in drug violation arrests. A total of 118 burglaries occurred in 2014 out of which only 4 were at licensed cannabis distribution centers with possession charges dropping by 47%. The country overall accrued $573 million dollars in income from the twelve states that legalized cannabis consumption. The consumption is 90% based off tourism, either interstate or internationally with the states medical marijuana sales brining in $326 million and recreational sale bringing in $246 million. The country was able to accumulate $60 million from taxation and licensing policies. With the number of pro-cannabis states increasing, revenue not only at a country level, but at a state level would only rise leaving the governments with funds for more opportunities for infrastructure development, healthcare plans and other social services. CONCLUSION India has the potential to harness, at a much greater magnitude, a crop that has been widely utilized for centuries to sustain all people, whether locally or internationally. While our educated awakening may have taken some time, it becomes an educated debate as to whether the rules infracted upon us need to be reviewed, in order for India to discover its correct answer. The world jumping on the “Green Future” bandwagon beforehand has allowed India a great advantage; being the source for sustainability in an age of destruction. BOHECO and Minister Sapathy have already taken the first steps acknowledging that India is about to open their eyes entirely to a source of income that yields little to no negative sideeffects while cashing in on the resources the country already has in abundance. The stigma on cannabis consumption needs to disintegrate in order for the crop to be taken seriously. Litigation and industrial pushes while already being in action need to be openly acknowledged as happening and a cause worth fighting for. The elitist views on cannabis consumption need to be legally halted in order for the growth of the country to occur uniformly. The descent into technology is creating wider gaps between classes and the rift can be addressed through the harnessing ability of the cannabis plant offering within itself diversity for every kind of primary sector worker. De criminalizing cannabis can only work positively with strong, cohesive support of the fighting legal and commercial bodies. The cause would receive support entirely from progressive generation X and Y sects and India’s traditional response to recreational drugs legally available such as cigarettes and alcohol would be mitigated with cannabis having no long term side-effects with moderate consumption. India’s strong organic roots create the perfect foundation for cannabis and cannabis by-products to boom. Lord Shiva offered a gift to the country; India can offer it to the rest of the world, the right way. BIBLIOGRAPHY Online periodical (newspaper) Ayyar, K. (2014, April 18). High on hemp: A start-up hopes Indian farmers will get hooked on to this plant. First Post. Retrieved from http://www.firstpost.com/business/startups-business/highon-hemp-a-start-up-hopes-indian-farmers-will-get-hooked-on-to-this-plant-1965315.html Baca, R. (2014, December 24). $573 million in pot sales: Here are 12 stats that define the year in marijuana. The Cannabist. Retrieved from http://www.thecannabist.co/2014/12/26/pot-salestaxes-statistics/26031/ Mitta, M. (2012, November 10). Recreational use of marijuana: Of highs and laws. The Times of India. Retrieved from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Recreational-use-of-marijuanaOf-highs-and-laws/articleshow/17165524.cms?referral=PM Tiwary, D. (2015, March 29). Cannabis ban is elitist. It should go: Tathagata Satpathy. Times of India. Retrieved from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Cannabis-ban-is-elitist-It-shouldgo-Tathagata-Satpathy/articleshow/46732106.cms Varghese, J. (2015, November 27). Uttarakhand: First Indian state to legalise cannabis cultivation. International Business Times. Online periodical (journal) Russo, E. (2005). Cannabis in India: Ancient lore and modern medicine. Retrieved from http://www.drugpolicy.org/docUploads/Russo_CannabisInIndia_Mechoulam2005.pdf Online Non Periodical (Website) Blaszczak-Boxe, A. (2014, October 17). Marijuana's History: How One Plant Spread Through the World. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/48337-marijuana-history-how-cannabistravelled-world.html Our Story. (2015). Retrieved from http://hempfoodsindia.com/story/ Rahn, B. (2014, September 6). Cannabis Anatomy: The Parts of the Plant. Retrieved from https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/cannabis-anatomy-the-parts-of-the-plant Online Non Periodical (Seminar) Wujastyk, D. (2001, November 1). Ayurveda at the crossroads of care and cure. Lecture presented at Indo-European Seminar on Ayurveda in Lisbon, Lisbon. Online Non Periodical (Report) Mackworth, W., & Ommanney, H. (1894). THE POLICY OF HEMP DRUG ADMINISTRATION. In Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895 (Vol. 1, pp. 264-300). Simla: Indian Hemp Drugs Commission. Online Non Periodical (Book) Iversen, L. (2000). The science of marijuana. Oxford: Oxford University Press. APPENDIX APPENDIX 1