The little know facts of Marijuana and the future of medicine

Marijuana has seen a lot of demand in recent times to be legalised among its users and not only for medicinal purposes. Recreational use of marijuana is on the rise and according to US govt statistics, the domestic consumption of marijuana has increased over 10 folds in the last 25 years. It goes on to show that Marijuana as a recreational drug has become popular among those who are willing to have a relaxed time filled with the fumes of their favourite kind of smoke.

Marijuana consumption in the world

Marijuana has been consumed throughout the world in ancient times. Smoking weed in ancient Indian subcontinent has been a part of the spiritual world and it was not restricted to smoking the hemp. A concoction called “Bhang” is still consumed during festivities in the Indian sub continent. “Bhang” is made with Marijuana buds and leaves along with the seed and the stems, milk, curd, dry fruits like cashew, pistachio and almonds and flavoured with mangos (when in season) etc. The preparation involves making a paste of the Cannabis along with the dry fruits, almonds, and mixed with milk and churned at a high speed and thoroughly mixed. It is consumed fresh and has intoxicating effects very similar to smoking the cannabis. These age old practises have survived the ban on marijuana in the subcontinent and promise to do in the future as well.

In other parts of the world including the Middle East, Marijuana in form of Hashish has been used for smoking and in the form of the oil since ancient times.

Marijuana and the myth

Marijuana has been the source of many myths and many ridiculous advertisements and false propagandas in the past to dissuade people from smoking it. While the good intention can be appreciated in light of excessive use by kids, the myths spread still continue to influence public opinion about the need to legalise one of man’s oldest recreations. It needs to be seen how the future generations handle the sensitive topic and comes up with a solution that is both accommodating of those who wish to indulge in their preferred way of relaxation and enjoyment while keeping it a private affair from the rest of the society. As a way forward Cannabis will be continually used as a medicine and more research will be done to fine tune the available strains to find better medical solutions from Marijuana.