India, Feb. 21 -- India and cannabis go back a long way. The plant has had a close association with major religions and has been used for over 2,000 years as food, fibre, and medicine, as well as for its psychoactive properties. By some estimates, it is grown in 60% of the country's districts. A 2019 government survey found that about 3% of Indians use cannabis. And yet, it has also been a banned substance for the last 40 years. (The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act prohibits the sale and production of resin and flowers of the cannabis plant but permits the use of the stump, leaves and seeds for industrial and medicinal purposes.) Also read | CBG from cannabis plant reduces anxiety, stress and boosts memory: New study

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