Check benefits of cannabis, Prime Minister’s office tells health ministry

As demands for the legalisation of cannabis or hemp plans gathers momentum, the Prime Minister’s Office has asked the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) to examine the benefits associated with the plant and respond to the petition within a month.
Two months ago, HT had reported that the founder of The Great Legalisation movement, Viki Vaurora, wrote to the PM asking him to legalise cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes.
Though calls to the secretary of the government of India and the MoHFW went unanswered, the PMO’s letter states, “A reply indicating the decision/action taken on the submission of the petitioner may invariably be sent to the petitioner at the earliest, preferably a month. In case it is not possible to take an action or decision on the matter, an interim reply indicating the reason be sent to the PMO and petitioner.”
Over the past three months, the group has conducted gatherings across 16 cities in the country, and has around 100 active members in Mumbai and about 25,000 worldwide.
Vaurora said he appreciated the development and hoped it would help industries and patients. “We have helped more than 1,000 patients since we started the movement in 2014. The plant we want to legalise is called Shiva plant and it has been spoken about in our mythology. Hoping that the country can reap its benefits soon,” said Vaurora.
The movement gathered steam around December because it was expected that the legalisation of hemp would be discussed during the winter session.
However, Patiala MP, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, whose private member bill seeking legalisation of the “non-synthetic” intoxicants, including cannabis, was cleared by the legislative branch of Parliament last year, had earlier said the bill may come up for discussion only in the Budget session.
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Jammu-Srinagar national highway reopened, stranded vehicles allowed towards Kashmir
Banihal/Udhampur/Jammu Hundreds of vehicles, stranded for four days, were allowed towards Kashmir on Friday night as one way was restored on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway after freshly building a road stretch to replace the one washed away in flash floods, officials said. Senior Superintendent of Police national highway, Shabir Ahmad Malik said while all blockades were removed and traffic cleared, the major problem of washing away of the road patch at Dewal bridge near Samroli on June 21 took three-and-half-days to be cleared.
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As part of our 'Walled City dictionary' series that explores the names of Old Delhi places. Despite being a mere courtesan, Anarkali dares Emperor Akbar with a spunky dance. Golcha cinema, in Daryaganj, is screening the digitally coloured version of the classic Mughal-e-Azam. The single-screen hall shut down six years ago (last movie screened was Kahani 2). Golcha came up in 1954. The theatre is now a ghost of its recent past.
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Jammu and Kashmir to host G20 summit next year, 5-member panel formed
The Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a five-member high-powered panel for overall coordination of G20 meetings to be held in the union territory next year. Acting upon a communique from the Union ministry of external affairs dated June 4, the principal secretary to the J&K government, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi accorded sanction for the constitution of the five-member panel.
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NIA conducts searches in Jalalabad bomb blast case
The National Investigation Agency on Friday conducted searches at multiple locations in Punjab in the last year's Jalalabad bomb blast case. The NIA conducted searches at 6 locations in the districts of Ferozepur, Fazilka and Tarn Taran and digital devices (mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, DVRs) , ammunition and other incriminating documents/materials were seized.
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‘Last time this happened in 1992’: Omar on Jammu and Kashmir assembly missing Prez poll
Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said that after the Independence of the country, only for the second time assembly members from J&K can't take part in the presidential elections scheduled for next month. Earlier in 1992, when militancy was at its peak and J&K was under Governor's rule, the erstwhile state had no assembly then so legislators from J&K couldn't participate in the elections for the country's President.