The first-ever conference in India for the legalisation of Marijuana organised by Viki Vaurora, a 23-year-old musician and recording engineer, will be held in Bengaluru on May 10. With 200 people participating, the event will focus on the medicinal properties of the plant, Cannabis. According to the organiser, the event is exclusively organised for doctors, media and (senior) students.

Reasons for legalizing marijuana

Medicinal Properties

• Dronabinol contains an active ingredient called tetrahydrocannabinol obtained by marijuana. This drug is approved for use as anti-emetic in chemotherapeutic regimens and as an appetite stimulant.
• Israel and Netherlands have been researching the medicinal value of the plant for years and have proven that it helps people with cancer, diabetes, leukaemia and bipolar disorder.
• One of the guests speakers for the conference, Rick Simpson, the founder of Phoenix Tears, who was the first person to extract concentrated cannabis oil for the purpose of treating cancer, claims to have used it to cure several people.

Cannabis use in India

• Cannabis has been a part of Indian culture since the Vedic times and plays a role in Ayurveda.
• In 1961, USA bullied India into making it illegal and in 1984 it was made a Class-A drug clubbing it with cocaine and heroin. But now, many states in the US have started making it legal.

The most vocal argument is that the use of marijuana is not as dangerous alcohol or tobacco. The movement is yet to gain momentum but it would be interesting to see whether the status of the drug changes at least for medicinal use.

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