Gloria Indica

Welcome to the 28^th edition of Gloria Indica. If you’re reading this for the first time, then welcome. This is our newsletter when we tend to focus a bit more on the business, technology and public policy narratives blazing across the world of ours today. Narratives that will have an impact on all of us in a few years, decisions made by people, for other people, to be used by people and ultimately enforced. As always, we resume the fight against the peddlers of bad logic, the dumb, the meek and the mediocre. Let us never, ever surrender to the forces intent on destabilization, confusion and havoc.

Let’s start blazing.

The Dumbness of Times’ Cannabis #FaceOff

The Times of India conducted a debate saying –

“Should Cannabis be Legalised? As the United Nations gives its nod for the reclassification of cannabis, is it time for India to relax laws as well? How has the ban on the substance worked so far? And if it were to be lifted, what would be the medical, social and economic implications? Check out this week’s debate for a comprehensive account of the issue. For – Dr. Vikram Patel, Professor of Global Health, Harvard Medical School. Against – Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, Deputy Director, Centre for Cancer Epidemiology, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai.”

After the debate, viewers and listeners we asked to ‘vote’ for one of the doctors here.

We are of the opinion that the Times of India’s questions with regards to the debate is misleading to the general public in the following ways:

• The Times asks: Should Cannabis be Legalised?
  
  For the sake of clarity, they need to mention which aspect of cannabis they are talking about. Cannabis has three aspects – recreational, medicinal and industrial cannabis. By simply mentioning Cannabis, the lay general reader thinks Cannabis has recreational value only, and does not become aware of Cannabis’ medicinal and industrial value. This question posed by the Times is misleading.
  
• The Times says: As the United Nations gives it nod to the reclassification of cannabis, is it time for India to relax laws as well?
  
  The Times of India has not done its research properly and are again keeping their readers dumb about medicinal cannabis. The United Nations reclassification was not about recreational cannabis, it was about medicinal cannabis – something the Times should know – and also something that India has already legalised. India’s NDPS Act already has provisions for cannabis to be used as a medicine. India does not need to relax anything for medicinal cannabis, India just needs to allow researchers, scientists and doctors get access to the cannabis plant. That’s all. Medicinal cannabis is already legal in India. The Times should just stand straight and say it. This debate has no meaning and is meant to create division of opinion and obstruct real science and rational economics. A disappointing state of affairs. Go ahead then, Times, keep your readers dumb.
  
• The Times Debate has two doctors pitted against each other
  
  The Times debate attempts to create confusion by pitting one doctor against another. This format is useless and does not do justice to the suffering of millions of people all over India who’re in need to safe, natural medicines. Every doctor’s aim ought to be the well being of the patient, and every doctor community ought to respect the advancements made in medical science. How can the Times actually allow a doctor to be against the medicinal use of cannabis, and how can the doctor in question allow the same?
  
  We think the Times has misinformed the doctor or maybe other forces are at play here.
  
  Since Medicinal Cannabis has already been legalized in India, why is a media organization like the Times of India not aware of it, and asking a doctor to speak out against it? This is either dumbness or maliciousness on another level. Very poor research from the Times. Completely misleading people with regards to cannabis by not being clear about its legality and status in India. They are not telling about the medical science (that’s not even entered mainstream medical textbooks in India, while it has started to do so in the west) behind cannabis, they’re not telling people that medicinal cannabis is already legalized in India, and a debate by two doctors, one for and one against is insulting for the research community as a whole.

What can we expect anything different from mainstream media today?

Its time to do your own research people. Never depend on anyone else. Never co-opt the opinions of anyone else, not even us, without doing your own research first. Fight, fight against the mediocrity so apparent and brazen in our world today, where readers are not informed of the full picture, and as far as cannabis is concerned, this plant has received more than its fair share of lies and stigma.

Let’s keep blazing.