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Marijuana
Why is it in news?
- The Parliament of Canada has passed Cannabis Act (or Bill C-45), a landmark law that legalizes recreational use of marijuana (a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant intended for medical or recreational use) nationwide.
- It makes Canada the first G7 country to legalise the drug’s recreational use and the second to have a nationwide, legal marijuana market, after Uruguay (permitted in December 2013).
Marijuana
What is Marijuana?
- Marijuana is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used for medical, recreational & religious purposes.
- Cannabis can be used by smoking, vaporization, within food, or as an extract.
- It creates mental and physical effects, such as a "high" or "stoned" feeling, a general change in perception, and an increase in appetite.
- Short term side effects may include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills, red eyes, and feelings of paranoia or anxiety.
- Long term side effects may include addiction, decreased mental ability and behavioural problems in children whose mothers used cannabis during pregnancy.
What are its medicinal qualities?
- There has been no rigorous scientific testing of the medicinal properties of cannabis due to restrictive laws.
- There is considerable evidence though, supporting its use in the treatment of chemotherapy - induced nausea and vomiting, neuropathic pain, and multiple sclerosis.
- Lower levels of evidence support its use for AIDS, wasting syndrome, epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, and glaucoma.
What is its legal status?
- The possession, use, and sale of cannabis are illegal in most countries as a result of an agreement in the ‘International Opium Convention’ (1925).
- Indian government banned the use of cannabis by passing the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act-1985.
- The rigour of restrictive laws & its implementation varies greatly across countries.
- Canada, Belgium, Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, and several U.S. states are some territories were medical use of cannabis is legal.
- Netherlands (1976) & some US states (recently) have allowed for the recreational use of marijuana.
Sources
The Hindu, Indian express