The Legal Status of Hemp Products in India: A Comprehensive Guide

Cannabis has been used as medicine for a very long time. In Ayurveda, there are more than 260 medicines made from cannabis. These medicines have been used to treat everything from fevers to gout, speech problems to nerve disorders, neurological diseases, and even cancer. It has been used to make chemotherapy and radiation less stressful and painful for people with cancer. Cannabis has also been shown to help with brain diseases like epilepsy, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. Since the United States and other major countries legalized cannabis in 2000, there have been a lot more chances to study them which wasn’t possible earlier. 

Scientists have found that THC, CBD, CBG, and another 116 cannabinoids are all parts of cannabis that can help cure different diseases. Now, in most countries where cannabis can be used for medical reasons, pain management is one of the reasons people are choosing hemp products or cannabis products over and over again. 

About Using Legal Cannabis in Business and Medicine

Even though cannabis was first grown in India, the rules have been very strict. The NDPS Act of 1985 says that marijuana can be used for medical purposes (in the form of medical cannabis) and for scientific study, but many people have the wrong misconception about this. There has been a lot of misunderstanding and uncertainty about how cannabis can be used, sold, and grown. 

Most of us tend to equate hemp and medical cannabis with “getting high”. On the other hand, scientists have a completely different point of view. In India, it is allowed to use it for medical or scientific research. State governments could also allow hemp to be used to make fabric and seeds. Unfortunately, only Uttarakhand has approved industrial hemp. The other states have stayed on the sidelines, worried about the political repercussions and what they might have to fight about. As a result, they have missed out on the huge opportunities that the hemp business has to offer. Raw materials from cannabis that are bought from the customs department are being used to make medicines in India right now.

But since officials like the FSSAI are taking the right steps to control the hemp business, the future looks good. 

Where did hemp come from?

Do you want to know if you can get high from hemp? The obvious answer is NO. We know that some of you don't know what hemp is or why it is being hyped up by a lot of fitness enthusiasts. For people who don't know much about hemp, it has a lot of medical benefits without making you feel high.

Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant family, Cannabis sativa. Both have chemicals like tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC, the psychoactive part that makes you feel good or high) and CBD (cannabidiol). CBD oil is made from the leaves, stems, and flowers of the cannabis plant. It can be used to ease pain, relax muscles, and improve your mood. In India, industrial hemp plants that are controlled have mostly CBD and less than 0.3% THC, which is not enough to get you "high." FSSAI (India) certified hemp seed and hemp seed products as 'food' on November 15, 2021.⁠ ⁠ Hemp seeds from plants containing less than 0.3% THC can be used to make meals. THC levels in beverages must not exceed 0.2 mg/kg, and CBD levels must not exceed 75 mg/kg.⁠ ⁠HC. The amount of THC in drinks can't be more than 0.2 mg/kg, and the amount of CBD can't be more than 75 mg/kg.⁠ ⁠

In 2017, the FSSAI sent notices to producers who sell hemp products stressing that it is against the law to sell goods with the FSSAI label. But after four years and a few businesses that did well with hemp, the government has changed its mind. On November 15, 2021, it states that hemp seed and things made from hemp seed are "food.".

How to move forward

This is a step in the right direction, but regulating it may require more thought about things like quality standards, labelling processes, consumer education, and the relationship between the NDPS and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 (DCA), among other things. A few hemp companies already have a license from the AYUSH and are controlled by the DCA. If you are looking to buy hemp products, Hempstrol is one such company you can consider buying owing to the fact that is licensed and certified by the Ayush Ministry and maintains strict control over their product.