Let’s face it, marijuana is definitely not a new addition to Indian culture. Cannabis has played a major role in our agricultural foundation and its medicinal uses have been well documented throughout history. As far back as the Vedas, it was deemed to be one of “five sacred plants and a guardian angel lived in its leaves. Sadly, somewhere along the way we lost faith and had gave up to a globalised school of thought. However, it seems we haven’t lost all hope.
The narcotics department of the revenue wing of the Union finance ministry has given the green light on a research and development (R&D) project on cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabis will be grown at Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) in Lucknow and Pantnagar. In a note sent to all state governments, emphasised development of drug varieties with low THC content, which could be exploited as a source of biomass and fibre for industrial and horticulture purposes.
For an ancient and revered herb to find space in the globalised allopathic community where it can truly make a difference is the true win we can’t wait to see. We here at Homegrown have always championed this narrative and hope government takes further steps to further this industry.
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