Pubdate: Thu, 18 Sep 2003
Source: Business Standard (India)
Copyright: 2003, Business Standard Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.business-standard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3082
Author: Devangshu Datta

RX - A SMALL DOSE OF CANNABIS

First-time visitors to The Netherlands are surprised to note 
sharply-pointed cannabis-leaf symbols at coffee-houses and pubs; places 
often frequented by people lighting up or eating hash omelettes and 
drinking hash tea.

The Dutch have a laissez-faire attitude to cannabis. Holland ignores 
personal possession of up to 30 grams of such substances as marijuana (the 
dried flower, or "ganja"), hashish (the dried resin, or "charas") and bhang 
(the dried leaf).

When the EU opened internal borders, Holland started receiving weekend 
"potfans" from France, Belgium and Germany. In effect, Dutch liberality led 
to the Eurozone easing its stance vis-a-vis soft drugs, though users from 
other nations risk punishment.

Holland is now offering over-the-counter prescription sales of cannabis -- 
useful for victims of cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis and amputees. It 
controls pain and nervous spasms with fewer side-effects and less 
addiction-related problems than the alternatives.

Two Dutch companies have been issued licences to grow cannabis to sell to 
the health ministry, which in turn packages the drug in small tubs for 
supply to pharmacies. The drug is packaged as dried marijuana flowers (grass).

As well as pharmacies, 80 hospitals and 400 doctors will be allowed to 
dispense five-gram doses of SIMM18 medical marijuana for 44 euros ($ 48) a 
tub and more potent Bedrocan at 50 euros. The health ministry recommends 
patients dilute the cannabis into tea or adapt asthma inhalers.

Some doctors say cannabis increases risks of depression or schizophrenia; 
other studies suggest it has few side effects. If it is smoked, you're 
inhaling carcinogens including nicotine and tar.

The cannabis plant contains over 60 cannabinoids, alkaloids that affect 
physical functions. The cannabinoids bind to two cannabinoid receptors in 
the body: CB1 and CB2.

CB1 enhances appetite, reduces pain and eases muscle spasms -- and also 
produces psychotropic effects. CB2 is expressed by immune and inflammatory 
cells, acts as an anti-inflammatory and reduces irritable bowel syndrome.

This combination of CB1 and CB2 alleviates the nausea associated with 
chemotherapy, reverses appetite loss in AIDS patients, and controls CNS 
motor diseases and certain types of pain.

There are researchers, notably Jerusalem's Hebrew University professor 
Raphael Mechoulam, in university and pharmaceutical labs elsewhere who are 
trying to isolate specific effects.

Mechoulam was the first to isolate tetra-hydra-cannabinol (THC), which 
causes the "high". He is now working on "THC-less" cannabis, though he 
believes that such drugs will be less effective at treating CNS problems.

Cannabis is also offered in countries such as the UK, Canada and Australia 
as well as in a few US states. However, cannabis is available from a few 
sources and distribution is more controlled. Canadian cannabis-users have 
complained that the official "baggies" that are offered to members of a 
subscription programme, are of terrible quality.

The UK is moving towards decriminalisation. A recent commission, the 
Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs, sent a recommendation to the Home 
Secretary that cannabis should be treated as a "Schedule C" drug. Schedule 
C is of the same risk/criminal status as growth hormones or steroids. 
Possession is non-criminal.

Class A drugs including ecstasy, cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin 
accounted for 99 percent of "the cost to society of drug use", according to 
the UK release. Analysts estimate that relaxing British cannabis laws could 
save about $ 71 million per annum and free up 500 police officers for other 
duties.

Decriminalisation could be similarly beneficial to India, where scarce 
policing resources could be concentrated on chasing more dangerous 
substances such as heroin or RDX. In fact, cannabis was sold at state 
government shops until the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 
1985. This treats all drugs as equally dangerous.

Decriminalisation would enable research into the medical properties of 
cannabis and help India cope with the flood of HIV cases that will emerge 
over the next few years.

Since it is possible to make a strong scriptural case for religious use by 
practising Hindus, is it too much to hope that the relegalisation of 
cannabis will feature on Hindutva-vadis' future agenda?
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens