Great Legalisation Movement India

Formation| November 2014
Purpose| Legalisation of cannabis
Location|

* India

Website| glm.org

The Great Legalisation Movement India (GLM India) is a non-profit organisation working to legalise the use of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes in India. It was founded in November 2014 by Viki Vaurora.[1][2] The social stigma associated with cannabis has long been prevalent among many communities in India. The campaign aims to educate people on the history and uses of cannabis and pave way for its legalisation to initiate a nationwide green industrial setup replacing thousands of ecologically damaging products with sustainable hemp-based alternatives.

## History of cannabis use in India

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Main article: Cannabis in India

Cannabis (Vijaya) has been used since ancient times in India, dating back to 2000 BCE.[3] The cannabis plant has been mentioned as one of the five sacred plants in the Vedas. Bhang, an edible preparation of cannabis consumed either in the form of a drink or smoked is common during the Hindu festivals of Holi and Mahashivaratri.

## Legislation of cannabis

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India had no legislation on narcotic substances till 1985. On 14 November 1985, the Indian government banned the use of cannabis by passing the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Under the act, it is illegal for a person to cultivate, possess, sell, purchase and consume narcotic and psychotropic substances. Violation of the law attracts a fine and/or imprisonment depending on the quantity of the banned substance. The act has come under criticism in the country, especially with the legalisation of cannabis in some US states.[4]

## Campaign

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GLM India planned to launch several campaigns across cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Pune.[5][6] The first Medical Cannabis Conference was held in Bengaluru on 10 May 2015.[7] Rick Simpson, a Canadian who has been using cannabis oil to treat medical conditions like cancer was the guest at the conference.[8] The conference in Mumbai had to be cancelled after the management of the venue withdrew permission to host the meeting.[9]

In 2018 the campaign started a web series titled The Gaanja Situation to encourage debate on the legalisation of cannabis for medical and industrial uses.[10]

## See also

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* Legality of cannabis by country
* Cannabis in India

## Further reading

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* When Will Weed Be Legalised in India, Vice (20 April 2018)
* A silent movement for the legalisation of cannabis is spreading across India, Scroll (Sep 03, 2018)

## References

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1. ^ "Jayanthi Madhukar on a network of people who are calling for the legalisation of marijuana". The Hindu. 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
2. ^ "Medical marijuana battle: 'Legalise cannabis' call finding support | health and fitness". Hindustan Times. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
3. ^ "History of Cannabis in India". Psychology Today. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
4. ^ "The joint campaign: Should we not legalize recreational use of Cannabis?". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
5. ^ "City to host country's first 'Legalise Marijuana Meet'". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
6. ^ "India's First Medical Cannabis Conference Is Going To Visit 4 Cities This May". Homegrown.
7. ^ "India legalise marijuana". GQ India. 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
8. ^ "Int'l cry to legalize marijuana reaches B'luru". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
9. ^ "Medical cannabis conference cancelled after Mumbai college withdraws permission". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
10. ^ "GLM starts web series to debate on cannabis legalisation". The New Indian Express. 2 January 2018.

## External links

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* GLM India website