Why your mausi gasps when you say "cannabis"

Say "cannabis" at a family function and watch the room. One uncle laughs, one aunty clutches her dupatta, and a cousin suddenly takes an interest in the conversation. Nobody asks what part of the plant you meant, and that is where the confusion starts.

Same plant, very different parts

Indian law treats the parts of the cannabis plant differently. The flowering tops (ganja) and the resin (charas) are prohibited under the NDPS Act. The leaves and seeds are not part of that prohibited definition. Ayurvedic medicines made only from the leaf, by a licensed manufacturer, sit in a completely different legal box.

It has been in our kitchens and books for a long time

Bhang at Holi is made from the leaves. Ayurveda has called the plant Vijaya for centuries and uses it in classical formulations. So the idea is not new. What is new is making it properly, testing every batch, and selling it only on prescription.

How to explain it to mausi

Try this: "It is an Ayurvedic medicine made from the leaf, not the flower. A doctor prescribes it. It is tested and labelled like any other medicine." If that fails, offer her the empty tin as a pencil box. It usually works.

A small honest note: this is still a medicine. It is not a party snack, and we will never sell it as one.