It’s 2020, and by now, many parts of the world have decriminalised marijuana. In certain cities, it’s one of the biggest contributors to the economy. In India however, you can still get busted for lighting a joint. But weed isn’t just used to get high – it also has a multitude of medicinal benefits.
According to Vice, HempCann Solutions is set to launch India’s first medical cannabis clinic in Bengaluru, selling tablets and oils made from the plant by February this year.
Sourab Agarwal, managing director of this Odisha-based startup propounds the benefits of his medicines.
India is the birthplace of cannabis and now is the right time to make healthcare professionals realise its immense therapeutic value.
Going by the brand name Vedi Herbals, the company is constructing a wellness centre and clinic to prescribe cannabis-infused tablets to treat things like inflammation, anxiety, and back pain.
Aayushman Narayan, the business development executive at HempCann says that prescription for these medicines can be given by any Ayurvedic doctor or through an online consultation.
Our bodies produce cannabinoids naturally and so does cannabis, which is the fundamental basis of using cannabis as a medicine. So, since cannabis is already included in Ayurveda, it earned us ratification from India’s Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy (AYUSH)
While weed is illegal, the company managed to maneuver the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act as hemp plants or the leaves and seeds of the cannabis plant are exempt.
While it might be hemp, these parts of the plants also contain cannabinoids like CBD and THC. The company has come up with these products after 5 years of heavy research. Narayan also added that their medicines can treat a host of illnesses.
Cannabis-infused medicine can be used for everything from lifestyle diseases like stress, back pain and fever to chronic ones like anorexia, without addiction or side-effects.
While there are legal weed dispensaries and medical cannabis products available in places abroad, it remains to be seen how the first clinic of its kind will be welcomed in India. But hey, if it helps people get better, then that’s all that matters!