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Women and child development minister MANEKA GANDHI suggested the legalising of marijuana on medical grounds at a meeting of ministers, according to minutes of the meeting accessed by the Press Trust of India. Many states within the US, and several countries worldwide, allow the use of marijuana as a medical aid. It is particularly useful as a treatment for chronic pain and nausea after chemotherapy. Ironically, marijuana was only made illegal in India in 1985. India opposed the 1961 international treaty that included cannabis alongside hard drugs on grounds of social and religious custom.