India’s vote at the United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs (UNCND) to reclassify marijuana from illegal to legal has raised a few eyebrows. Now, this vote is not legally binding on member states and as we are seeing with Bollywood stars right now, marijuana in all its forms, leaf, flower or resin, remains quite illegal under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1985. However, several think-tanks, including some with substantial links to the present Government, have come out with white papers that have made a strong case for legalisation.

We believe that marijuana consumption should be legalised and like alcohol, its use should be regulated by the State. There are several compelling arguments for this, starting with the fact that marijuana has been legalised in many parts of the Western world thanks to studies proving that levels of intoxication are manageable and that the active compounds in it can help in pain and stress relief. In addition, in places where the plant has been legalised, the State has received a significant amount of tax revenue from sales and simultaneously reduced costs of policing with lower levels of criminal incarceration for drug crime. This has allowed authorities to go after “hard” drugs like cocaine and heroin and their smuggling networks. In fact, until the strict NDPS was introduced by the Rajiv Gandhi government in deference to the Reagan administration and its so-called “war on drugs,” marijuana usage and possession here, while frowned upon, was fairly legal. As the West understands the abilities of a plant that is native to India and is an integral part of our medication and social norms, we should unburden ourselves of the laws that make marijuana consumption and possession illegal. In fact, much like several major research institutions and universities across the world, which have begun research into the abilities of the plant, we could do well to sponsor similar studies and R&D. This does not mean that Indian society will continue its laissez faire attitude to drug consumption but the positives outweigh the negatives and would also allow Indian farmers new and innovative sources of income.

India’s vote at the United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs (UNCND) to reclassify marijuana from illegal to legal has raised a few eyebrows. Now, this vote is not legally binding on member states and as we are seeing with Bollywood stars right now, marijuana in all its forms, leaf, flower or resin, remains quite illegal under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1985. However, several think-tanks, including some with substantial links to the present Government, have come out with white papers that have made a strong case for legalisation.

We believe that marijuana consumption should be legalised and like alcohol, its use should be regulated by the State. There are several compelling arguments for this, starting with the fact that marijuana has been legalised in many parts of the Western world thanks to studies proving that levels of intoxication are manageable and that the active compounds in it can help in pain and stress relief. In addition, in places where the plant has been legalised, the State has received a significant amount of tax revenue from sales and simultaneously reduced costs of policing with lower levels of criminal incarceration for drug crime. This has allowed authorities to go after “hard” drugs like cocaine and heroin and their smuggling networks. In fact, until the strict NDPS was introduced by the Rajiv Gandhi government in deference to the Reagan administration and its so-called “war on drugs,” marijuana usage and possession here, while frowned upon, was fairly legal. As the West understands the abilities of a plant that is native to India and is an integral part of our medication and social norms, we should unburden ourselves of the laws that make marijuana consumption and possession illegal. In fact, much like several major research institutions and universities across the world, which have begun research into the abilities of the plant, we could do well to sponsor similar studies and R&D. This does not mean that Indian society will continue its laissez faire attitude to drug consumption but the positives outweigh the negatives and would also allow Indian farmers new and innovative sources of income.