“Legalizing marijuana will encourage the poor Nepalese farmers, and as most of the Western world, which remained responsible for making it illegal in the first place, has previously ended prohibition. Nepal Should also lift the prohibition on the Marijuana plant.” – Birod Khatiwada (NCP Lawmaker)
Nepal Communist Party (NCP) lawmakers have proposed legalizing marijuana in Nepal, where it has been used for generations and was popular during the counter-culture of the 1960s.
Freak Street(Basantapur, Kathmandu) was the epicenter during the Hippie trail from the early 1960s to the late 1970s. After imposing strict regulations on marijuana by the government the hippies felt unsafe and the hippie migration of Nepal disappeared out in the late 1970s.
Forty-Six Lawmaker representatives of ruling Nepal Communist Party(NCP) filed the proposal in the Parliament to legalize the production and the use of marijuana, Party lawmaker Birod Khatiwada said on Monday(Feb 10, 2020), “The country’s mountainous territory is proper for the crop and allowing farmers to grow and it would greatly benefit those who are impoverished”.
So Why suddenly Marijuana been a topic of interest, let’s dive deep in Brief History of Marijuana in Nepal & Medical use of Marijuana?
History of Marijuana in Nepal
Nepal has a long history of usage regarding marijuana as an intoxicant and advances to produce cannabis illegally. Marijuana in Nepal has been authoritatively illegal since 1973. Nevertheless, marijuana has a long history of 2000 B.C(i.e. 2000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ). Nepal is rooted in _Santan Dharma which dates back to– 155.52 Trillion Years according to Vedic Mathematics. It was common practice for Monks & devotees to use weeds.
Nepalese peoples, commonly use marijuana for preparations like Charas (resin), Ganja(flower), and Bhang (seeds and leaves), with common drinks on Shivaratri Season, such as bhang lassi and bhang tea, made from cannabis.
Marijuana/Cannabis/Hemp is one of the types of plants that were used to prepare Soma in the Vedic period. Soma was an intoxicating ceremony beverage that has been highly praised in the Rigveda (i.e. 1700–1100 BCE). Marijuana is mentioned in several Vedic texts dated before the 1000 BCE.
Atharvaveda (c. 1500-1000 BCE) mentions marijuana as one of the five sacred plants that relieve anxiety. Sayana in Vedas interpreted marijuana/weed as a type of wild grass.
It is also included in Ayurveda as an element in various ingredients of pain relievers and aphrodisiacs but in small quantities. It is noted that a large quantity or long time consumption can be addictive and unhealthy for the lungs and liver. However, Ayurveda does not use marijuana for smoking recipes.
Medical Marijuana
Cannabis/Marijuana has struck an important part in developing human civilization and its proof is contemplated in the Bible where Jesus, as the first marijuana activist uses healing potion (hemp) for treating people or within Hindu scriptures lord Shiva, who puffs marijuana for better concentration on meditation, avoiding distraction.
Marijuana has been in practice for hundreds of years now for medical purposes. However current Medical research proved its health benefits to the world making it widely acceptable around the world. The world of the internet has played a major role in facilitating widespread knowledge sharing about Cannabinoids(Chemicals present in Marijuana) and its health benefits. CBGA, THCa, THC, CBG, THCV, CBD, CBN, & CBC are the most popular cannabinoids that have shown promise for the marijuana future. Let’s dive deep into THC & CBD most commonly found cannabinoids.
THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the substance responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects. It functions much like the cannabinoid substances produced naturally via the body, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Characteristics
- It is one of the most significant chemicals of the cannabis plant (discovered in 1964).
- THCa evaporates to produce THC (the reason why THCa is known as the parent of THC).
- By 1990, it was found that humans have cannabinoid receptors in their bodies.
- It is identified for its psychoactive interaction with these receptors (CB1 and CB2).
- It binds these receptors causing a change in how cells function.
Medical Benefits
It is the most studied cannabinoid and this why it is known deeply know about its medical outcomes. Some of the results are:
- It turns off vomiting and nausea
- It is expected to trigger the appetite
- It resembles to have an anti-inflammatory impact (almost 20 times more effective than aspirin)
- It is discovered to obtain a healthy neuroprotective antioxidant.
- It has shown a presumable role in treating PTSD and Tourette syndrome.
- It has further recorded the positive side in treating anorexia and spasticity.
- It is signifying to prevent off Migraines, Crohn’s disease, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple sclerosis, Glaucoma.
The form of THC has been examined on animals and human respondents over the years. Momentarily, no individual has ever overdosed on THC, but usually, if he does, the person might experience anxiety or perceive harm that something nasty is coming their way.
On the positive side, The brainstem doesn’t have CB1 and CB2 receptors, the stem which is responsible for controlling breathing and heartbeats. So, in the case of a THC overdose, there won’t be any impact on breathing and beating.
CBD (Cannabidiol)
Characteristics
- Similar to THC, CBD is the most studied cannabinoid found in the cannabis plants.
- It was discovered in 1940.
- It follows the same path of production as that of THC and CBG.
- It is observed that it interacts with the variety of receptors including cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), biological targets, and neurotransmitter receptors.
- It is a non-psychoactive component that behaves opposite to the THC.
- It has the ability to reduce the overdosing effect of THC without changing the level of it.
Medical Benefits
When it comes to medical analysis, its non-psychedelic behavior with the human body makes it a particular component for study. Since it doesn’t influence the brainstem, the legal status of the substance has a better position in countries like the United States, in comparison to the related components like THC and THCV. Let’s go through some of the CBD medical advancement so far:
- CBD based products reduce seizure frequency.
- It has not only thrown the probability of suppressing inflammation but also the chemicals which cause inflammation.
- Like THCV, it is one of the four anticonvulsant cannabinoids used for controlling the seizure threshold. The only difference is, it is a non-psychotomimetic compound while the other three are.
- They may also act as a therapeutic agent in handling the cancer cells where the bad cell’s suicide and good cells are preserved.
- Within the context of sleep, it has revealed biphasic nature— alerts our mind in lower dosage and sedates at higher dosage inducing sleep.
- It is also observed as neuron protection to the damaged neurons.
- Its expected aspect is also seen in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
It has experimented with a variety of diseases (maybe the most number of conditions), and in the majority of tests, it has favorable inferences.