Millions of people around the world are familiar with the hypnotic rhythms of reggae that originated from Jamaica, a small colonial island in the Caribbean Sea. Reggae is what propelled the ideology of Rastafari to the world through the melodious, socially conscious tunes of Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Jacob Miller, and Peter Tosh. Jamaican culture is most commonly described as rooted in Africa because the majority of the population is of African descent. However, a deeper analysis will find that the Hindu culture has had an immense, largely unacknowledged influence on Jamaican culture and the early stages of Rastafari.

Hemp equals hippie. Does it not? Only bearded dudes talk about all things leafy.

But this inquiry is purely from an environmental perspective. With carbon being pronounced a dirty word after the Paris Summit, the hemp industry in India and elsewhere is asking to be taken seriously as a producer of environmentally sustainable material.

Tathagata Satpathy, the BJD’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, called for legalisation of cannabis consumption Thursday. It was not the first time the four-time MP has made this pitch, having done so on TV as well as during the previous monsoon session. His argument in the Lok Sabha Thursday was that banning cannabis consumption has led to increase in alcoholism.

“In the villages of my constituency, old people, venerable people used to smoke marijuana… natural marijuana. Today, by imposing ban on natural substances, which people have been using for ages, from the time of Lord Shiva, we have actually forced a lot of these people to move on to alcohol,” Satpathy said.

Uttarakhand government's decision to allow farmers to cultivation of hemp plants is the first of its kind in India.

Farmers from across the state except Terai and Bhabhar regions can now legally grow hemp. While in countries like the US, many states have legalised the cultivation of cannabis for smoking purpose, in Uttarakhand the permission is only for industrial purpose. Farmers will have to get a licence by the excise department to grow cannabis. 

Hemp with a tetra hydro cannabinol (THC) content of 0.3 to 1.5 percent can be used for industrial purposes like in the manufacturing of fibre.

t is a commonly accepted fact that drug abuse is on the rise in India. However, the true extent of the proliferation of drugs in this country will surprise many. According to estimates, there are approximately 70 million drug abusers in India. Data on drugs seizure by the Narcotics Control Bureau shows that consumption and smuggling of synthetic drugs, which are much more dangerous and addictive than natural ones, has been steadily increasing while that of natural drugs has been decreasing.

Thirty-year-old Arjun Bal (name changed) takes a drag and stares out of the window in his production studio in suburban Mumbai while he reminisces about the 'good ol' days' when quality hashish was cheap and the world was a lot more mellow. Hashish 'aficionados' like Bal, across metro cities, now bemoan the poor quality of hash in supply and the fact that the drug is practically unaffordable. 

Today, in Mumbai, an average consumer is likely to cough up anywhere between Rs 4,000-7,000 for .. 
 

Agartala, Nov. 6 (ANI): The Border Security Force (BSF), along with state administration, police and forest officials, on Friday destroyed 1.25 lakh Marijuana plants worth approximately Rs. 19 crore at Sitakola Kamlasagar village in Sepahijala district of Tripura.

Based on a specific input from field G team of the BSF Gakulnagar, the forces seized Marijuana.

The team was led by N P Singh, DC (G) BSF, and assisted by police, TSR, civil administration and forest officials.

This is the third big destruction of marijuana plants in less than 15 days in Sephijala district.

Inside a cluttered office in one of Lower Parel's mill compounds, seven twentysomethings are dreaming of another green revolution. They are the team that runs India's first industrial hemp startup—Bombay Hemp Company (BOHECO).

Touted to be a billion-dollar industry in the West, hemp so far has received little recognition in India because it is often confused with marijuana. BOHECO's cofounders, who are all graduates of HR College, recounted several instances at conferences and farmer markets when potential consumers have confused "hemp" with "ham" or inquired about the likelihood of "getting high".

Dehra Dun : No Uttarakhand is not going the way of some of the states of the USA or Holland where marijuana has been legalized for smoking. Resident of this small mountain state, except for the Terai and Bhabar regions will now be able to take up cultivation of cannabis purely for industrial purposes as it will have a tetra hydro cannabinol (thc) content of 0.3 to 1.5 percent.