This story is from January 22, 2018

Youngsters try to weed out taboo

Should marijuana be legalised? Medical experts may be divided in their opinion on the subject, but many youngsters are citing examples from abroad to demand legalisation of the drug in India. They supported their argument with the fact that more than half the states in the US and nearly a dozen countries, like Portugal and Argentina, allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Youngsters try to weed out taboo
NEW DELHI: Should marijuana be legalised?? Medical experts may be divided in their opinion on the subject, but many youngsters are citing examples from abroad to demand legalisation of the drug in India. They supported their argument with the fact that more than half the states in the US and nearly a dozen countries, like Portugal and Argentina, allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

“If the government can allow sale of tobacco and alcohol, why has it banned marijuana? Unlike the former two, marijuana has known properties to heal and even prevent diseases,” said Utsav Thapliyal, a student of Amity University, while addressing a gathering of around 30 youngsters at the central park in Connaught Place on Sunday.
Holding placards to garner support, the youngsters talked to curious onlookers about their demand. “When I talk to my parents about marijuana, they get angry. They compare it to heroin and cocaine, which are synthetic. We need awareness programmes to educate people about how marijuana is different from the other banned drugs,” said a volunteer. He was participating in the initiative to reduce stigma attached to the drug.
Thapliyal and the other students are part of the Delhi chapter of Greater Legalisation Movement India, a non-profit organisation educating about the benefits of cannabis. “We have 16 similar events happening across India to educate the masses about the benefits of marijuana usage,” he added.
Marijuana, or cannabis, has been in use in India for thousands of years. It was classified as an illegal drug by the central government in 1985 under National Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the organisers said. Supporting legalisation, Vipul Khurana from Janakpuri in west Delhi, said, “It helps in reducing side-effects of cancer treatment.”
Marijuana is usually smoked, sometimes rolled into a cigar, but more often in loosely-rolled cigarettes or ‘joints’. “Legalising marijuana will help check illegal trade,” said another participant.

Doctors, however, feel that marijuana can be a ‘gateway’ to other harder drugs, such as heroin and crack-cocaine. “Despite the ban, marijuana is a common drug. It’s easily available in the black market. However, in my view, legalising the sale and purchase may not be a good idea as it would remove the taboo associated with it and youngsters would use it even more frequently,” said a senior psychiatrist.
In Delhi, “weed” is readily available at certain shops near Kashmere Gate ISBT, in Khanpur and Paharganj among other places. The going rate is Rs 50-100 for 10 grams, said a regular user who did not want to be identified. Malana in Himachal Pradesh is one of the places where marijuana plants are grown on a large scale.
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