Cannabidiol — commonly known as CBD — is one of the primary, non-psychoactive compounds found in the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant has been used in medicine for 6,000 years. However, there is still considerable debate around the role it plays in healthcare today.
In reality, CBD has so many advantages that big pharmaceutical companies are beginning to get worried. It’s effective since it includes small amounts of CBD. More individuals are choosing to medicate with CBD daily What’s more, CBD has been proven to decrease blood pressure, lower glucose levels, promote cardiovascular wellness, protect against neurodegenerative disorders and decrease nausea. CBD is a legally extracted from the industrial hemp plant that is completely safe to take advantage of all over the nation. CBD is something which has all types of health benefits.
Check the video to know its uses for many common ailments -
India is currently lagging behind the majority of the rest of the world as it yet to officially legalise the use of CBD products. In the past thirty years, however, this has become hard to accomplish due to the stricter laws imposed on the Indian people. As a matter of fact, Indians have been using hemp-extracted CBD since the Vedic era. Before establishing if CBD is legal in India, let’s get back to the beginning. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, introduced in 1985 by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, prohibited the sale and purchase of cannabis-related products.
However, cannabis had already been illegal in India since 1961 after the Indian government signed the United Nations’ Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs treaty. With those roadblocks in place, India has found itself behind the eight-ball with regards to benefiting from the global rise in the legal CBD market.
A subject of intense debate globally, cannabis is finding increasing acceptance in the medical community, with major developments abroad in terms of policy and society for accepting medicinal cannabis. With the use of cannabis for medical use thoroughly ingrained in the Indian Ayurveda and Atharvaveda system, it is high time that there is a consensus about its huge medicinal potential.
In an exclusive interview with BW Businessworld, Dr. Arno Hazekamp, scientific advisor to Bombay Hemp Company (BOHECO) and global cannabis expert, Avnish Pandya, Director of Research and Development at BOHECO and Siddhant Mistry, Associate Scientist at BOHECO discuss the various facets of medicinal cannabis, its use in Indian medical history, its medicinal benefits and the policy changes in India set to take place with respect to medicinal cannabis.
In April of 2017, the central Indian government issued the first license for the Ministry of Health and Welfare to grow industrially certified hemp, effectively expanding research and development. Several key countries had already made changes to their legislation. In the light of these events, Indian officials were advised not to be the last ones left to enter the booming CBD infused product market.
India has a well-developed pharmaceutical industry, and some world-class research institutes. They are very well capable of turning Indian cannabis into medical products for the Indian and international market. The Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) in Jammu is reportedly working alongside CSIR on this research. The institute plans to conduct clinical trials along with the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and a Raipur-based hospital. Some animal trials were conducted previously, and the institute said last year it hoped to get regulatory approval for human trials.
Researchers in the country wish to explore CBD’s potentially positive impact on certain conditions. Some of these are: epilepsy, cancer pain, genetic diseases, and sickle-cell anemia, which affects wide swathes of the population. CBD could be an effective and comparatively low-cost remedy for the nation, currently undergoing financial strain from the bloated health care industry.
Currently, lawmakers and health experts are attempting to work with the Food Safety and Standards Authority. They are trying to formally codify hemp as an agricultural commodity, a food item, and a health treatment. Others want hemp crops to be invested in because the material creates soft, breathable fabrics and strong composite fibers.
The group, under licence from the state government, is aiming to develop cannabis-based drugs to treat a plethora of medical conditions. They have imported approved products from other countries with a view to expediating the results from their own studies.
There have been calls for things to change, with Shashi Tharoor amongst the prominent politicians who have urged the Indian government to legalise marijuana for medicinal purposes.
While the Indian government has been slow to react to the global developments in the cannabis industry, there have been signs that they are ready to embrace change.
Speaking at the New Delhi event, Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh, admitted that the country could not afford to ignore the potential CBD has to make a huge impact on both health issues and the Indian economy.
“There is a very thin line between use, misuse and abuse of a substance, and it is our responsibility to draw that line,” he said.
“Now, as the incidence of non-communicable diseases increase in India, we need to conduct pioneering research on drugs originating from plants and herbs.”
Singh’s comments will undoubtedly give hope to Indians that their country can catch up with the rest of the world and profit from the growth of the CBD industry.
At a recent event organised in partnership with India’s AYUSH ministry, some AYUSH experts pitched for the legal use of medical cannabis, especially in pain management.
Cannabis is something which brings up many thoughts in the Indian mind. It is defined as any natural plant high in cannabinoids with very low THC content. Imported and domestic strains must have less than 0.3 percent of THC. This is the active psychotropic substance which creates the euphoriant feeling in users. It’s important to know that CBD is non-addictive.
In the risk averse world of pharma, where high-purity is paramount, drugmakers have an opportunity to leverage the industry’s manufacturing standards and edge out lower-quality products. The consumer demand is there. But what the CBD industry needs is higher standards, especially if it’s going to win over healthcare professionals.
As of 2019, CBD products with low THC content are legal for general consumers regardless of their medical condition. The supplement can be sold, distributed, and manufactured almost without restriction. Law enforcement is very hesitant to take any action against users or vendors. This means that an unfettered CBD market has risen in the country. Politicians have largely changed their skeptical stance after nearly worldwide acceptance of CBD fringe markets into the mainstream.
The push to legalize cannabis for therapeutic use is not regulated just to the United States. As you can see, cannabis has been used for centuries to treat the people of India. Indian society has had a long association with cannabis, but regulatory issues have hindered the growth of industry here. Currently, only CBD treatments extracted from hemp are legal.
So why would the pharmaceutical industry be interested in CBD and other plant medicines? The cynic would say money. The optimist would say regulation. To get the clearest picture, we need to explore both.
Public trust in pharmaceutical industry has seen a decline, stemming from price inflation concerns and a lack of transparency around research. If big pharma refuses to cooperate, then it’s obvious that CBD is going to threaten profits. But allowing the two to cross over somewhere, even just a little bit, could be in the best interests of everybody.
However, contrary to what many people may believe, the positive effects of CBD are not a modern discovery. Dating back thousands of years, people have identified ways to treat ailments with the plant from which CBD oil is harvested. It is used in Ayurveda in aroused psychiatric states, in manic states, sometimes also (short term use) for chronic insomnia, but also for chronic pain in terminal phases of tuberculosis and malignant tumours.
Hemp community has taken a hit in recent years. We predict that the road to redemption could be paved with hemp plant. We are proud to be a part of the hemp community that gives the cannabis plant the respect it deserves. And, as we know, public opinion is the most powerful of all the opinions. The more people know the more educated their choices will be.
You can also join our Himalayan Hemp community to enjoy learning about and sharing the benefits of healthy-alternatives to traditional medicines and options that more mainstream outlets often fail to highlight. If you have any questions about healing and or CBD. Reach out.
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