LEGALISE MEDICINAL MARIJUANA: MANEKA
Women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi has suggested legalising marijuana, a psychoactive drug, in India for medical purposes on the lines of the practice adopted by some developed countries to curb drug abuse.
The suggestion was made by Gandhi at a meeting of a group of ministers (GOM), which examined the draft note, National Drug Demand Reduction Policy. The GoM approved the draft with minor modifications.
Gandhi said in “some of the developed countries like the US, marijuana has been legalised which ultimately results in less drug abuse”. She said that “the possibility may be explored in India”, as per the document.
When asked to elaborate, Gandhi said “marijuana should be legalised for medical purposes, especially as it serves a purpose in cancer”. During the meeting, which was chaired by home minister Rajnath Singh, Gandhi also stressed on the need for regulating the sale and availability of pharmaceutical drugs such as codeine cough syrups and inhalants which are being abused.
PM Narendra Modi has directed the GoM to examine the policy for drug demand reduction, which seeks to address the problem of drug and substance abuse. Social justice and empowerment secretary G Latha Krishna Rao said “it may not be appropriate to legalise such drugs” in view of the large population and low level of literacy in India but added that the possibility could be explored in future.