Amid the death of Indian film actor Late Sushant Singh Rajput Marijuana (Cannabis) popularly known as Ganja has become a hot topic of discussion. Every second day we get news update about different celebrities getting reported for possession of Ganja. In most cases the amount of drugs involved, such as marijuana or ganja, was negligible, not exceeding a few grams.  But in the eyes of the law, it is a crime to possess all these substances, as administered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, prohibiting the production, possession, purchase or consumption of such as cannis sativa, such as marijuana, Hash, ganja, charas, and hemp.

What is Marijuana and what it does

History of Cannabis or Marijuana dates back to at least 2500 years ago and studies show that it was being smoked at that time also. It is also the most commonly used illegal drug in the world however it is also legal in a few countries.

Because of its various physical and mental effects like Euphoria, impaired short term memory and physical movements, altered state of mind etc it is used both for medicinal and recreational purposes. Its effects can be felt within a few minutes to one hour of consumption and may last for two to six hours. The most shocking fact about Marijuana or Cannabis is that it is less addictive than Alcohol, tobacco and even caffeine and sugar and all these substances are legal.

Marijuana ban in India

In an interview Indian actor late Irrfan Khan has said, “In our childhood Ganja was a normal thing and we could buy it easily. I do not understand the reason for its ban.” Another Indian actor Ranveer Shorey has also advocated for lifting ban from Marijuana citing the the laws are very old and need to be reviewed.

Lord Shiva who is considered a Supreme God in Indian (Hindu) culture is also depicted many times having Marijuana. Indian Saint Swami Vivekananda also used to smoke Cannabis. In many incarnations, hemp has been a part of the Indian tradition for a long time, from the devotional charas to the cannabis of cannabis during Holi. If the use of Ganja was so widespread and normal in the Indian society then what led to its ban.

Such drugs were not banned in India until the mid-1980s.  In Calcutta, and elsewhere, cannabis was sold by government licensed hemp shops, noted for its analgesic properties, for medicinal purposes. In 1985, allegedly sighting the US example, which was facing a growing problem of heroin and cocaine, India banned all narcotics, including cannabis, as a suspected source of supply. Ironically, the US has now revoked the ban and had now allowed Personal use of marijuana in some states such as California.

One of the results of Marijuana ban is that the use of lab-made drugs vermac and crack has spread to young people in Punjab and other parts of the country. And these drugs are highly addictive and dangerous when compared to Marijuana.

Recently there have been condemnations in the news reports about many Bollywood celebrities,officers recovered several narcotics products which were benched in their possession. It is also reported that hash is widely used in bollywood parties. The fact is Weed or Joints are being widely used today despite the ban and it is less addictive and dangerous than many of the existing stuff of this kind. So may be it is high time to lift the US initiated drug ban and earn revenue from taxes on Marijuana as we do from tobacco and alcohol.