Recently,
the scientific community is focusing on the possible medical uses of cannabis.
Many
states in the United States have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. It
may potentially help fight the opioid epidemic due to their use in chronic
pain. In India, Bhang is not restricted under the Narcotics Act.
Cannabis
leaves-based drugs were found to be effective in alleviating pain and other
symptoms in cancer patients after chemo- and radiotherapy in a pilot study
conducted in 2018 by Central Council For Research in Ayurvedic Sciences
(CCRAS), a research body under the Ministry of AYUSH in collaboration with the
Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar on cancer patients undergoing treatment at
the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.
Further
to this pilot study, another study is proposed to be conducted at AIIMS to
examine and validate the efficacy of cannabis in reducing side-effects in
patients suffering from breast and cervix cancer. (The Week-PTI,
Nov.25, 2018, https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2018/11/25/des7-ayush-cannabis-cancer-aiims.html).
However,
two international studies published in the Journal of Addiction
Medicine and the American Journal of Psychiatry in
2018 reported increased risk of use of prescription opioids and nonmedical
prescription opioid use with the medical use of cannabis.
Cannabis
is derived from the cannabis plant, Cannabis sativa. It is mainly used as
charas, hashish, ganja and bhang.
The
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 has defined
cannabis as below:
“(iii)
"cannabis (hemp)" means-
(a) charas, that is, the separated resin, in
whatever form, whether crude or purified, obtained from the cannabis plant and
also includes concentrated preparation and resin known as hashish oil or liquid
hashish;
(b) ganja, that is, the flowering or fruiting
tops of the cannabis plant (excluding the seeds and leaves when not accompanied
by the tops), by whatever name they may be known or designated; and
(c) any mixture, with or without any neutral
material, of any of the above forms of cannabis or any drink prepared
therefrom;”
Bhang
is prepared from the leaves (and seeds) of the cannabis plant. Hence, it is not
covered under the NDPS Act, 1985, which bans the production and sale of
cannabis resin and flowers, but permits use of leaves and seeds.
Mixing
of bhang with any part of flowering tops or the resin produced from the
cannabis plants, however, is a punishable offence under relevant provisions of
the NDPS Act, 1985.
The
National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances allows
cultivation of cannabis, with permit, for purposes of research and not for
medical purposes. “Cultivation of cannabis will not be permitted given
its limited proven uses for medical purposes. Cultivation shall be permitted
for research including trials of various varieties of cannabis (20).”
“Section
14 of the NDPS Act empowers the Government to, by general or special order,
permit cultivation of cannabis exclusively for horticultural and industrial
purposes (23).”
More
scientific research is needed on the medicinal properties of
cannabis within the regulatory framework.
The
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which is “the apex body for the
formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research” in the country,
should spearhead the research on this to authenticate the medicinal properties
of cannabis and then come out with recommendations on medical cannabis use.
Dr KK
Aggarwal
Padma
Shri Awardee
President
Elect Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania (CMAAO)
Group
Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President
Heart Care Foundation of India
Past
National President IMA
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