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Polity & Governance
Mahesh

03/09/22 04:48 AM IST

NDPS Act

In News 
  • The Karnataka High Court has recently granted bail to a man arrested for bhang and ganja, and argued that NDPS Act nowhere mentions it as a prohibited drink/ drug. Also, SC recently dismissed a petition to ‘decriminalize personal consumption of drugs’ under the NDPS act.
Bhang 
  • Bhang is the edible preparation made from the leaves of the cannabis plant, often incorporated into drinks such as thandai and lassi, along with various foods.
  • Bhang has been consumed in the Indian subcontinent for centuries, and is frequently consumed during the festivals of Holi and Mahashivratri.
  • Its widespread use caught the attention of Europeans, with Garcia da Orta, a Portuguese physician who arrived in  Goa in the 16th century, noting that, “[Bhang] is so generally used and by such a number of people that there is no mystery about it.
  • The Act, in its definition, excludes seeds and leaves “when not accompanied by the tops”. Bhang, which is made with the leaves of the plant, is not mentioned in the NDPS Act.
  • As a “special provision”, the Act states that the government “may allow cultivation of any cannabis plant for industrial purposes only of obtaining fibre or seed or for horticultural purposes”.
NDPS Act 
  • NDPS Act 1985 deals with drugs and their trafficking.
  • The NDPS Act defines cannabis (hemp) as a narcotic drug – Charas, Ganja and any other mixture.
  • Only Bhang which is made with the leaves of the plant is not mentioned in the NDPS Act.
  • The Act prohibits the production, sale, purchase, transport and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, except for medical and scientific purposes.
  • The act extends to the whole of India and also to aircraft and ships that are registered in India.
  • According to National Crime Records Bureau, there was a decrease of more than 27% in crimes related to personal consumption of drugs from 2019 to 2020.
Source- Indian Express 

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