Let’s break down some myths about marijuana:

Myth 1: Marijuana use is harmless.

Today’s marijuana is far more potent than the plant of the past.

New strains are being crossbred to produce higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol — the chemical responsible for marijuana’s effects — than ever before, with some reaching 20 to 30 percent THC (as compared with the average 1 percent THC in the 1970s).

We don’t yet know the full extent to which increased levels of THC will affect the brain and the body. However, the National Institute on Drug Abuse cautions that it could lead to higher rates of addiction and adverse health consequences.

Indian doctors met for the "Seminar on Chronic Pain”, organised by AIIMS-Bhubaneswar and Medicinal Cannabis Foundation of India (MCFI) this month to discuss how chronic and cancer pain can be controlled using marijuana.

India's relationship with marijuana

Most importantly, the event focused on marijuana's pain relieving properties, and saw notable speakers, including Indian-American physician-scientist Sunil Kumar Aggarwal, M.D., Ph.D., who spoke on Cannabinoid Integrative Medicine.  He spoke on how India has since long understand  the medical properties of Cannabis, making it a part of Ayurveda. “Cannabis Sativa”, has also been formally introduced into India's digital library to protect it international biopiracy.

Over 32 kilograms of ganja worth nearly Rs three lakh, brought to Kochi by train ahead of the festive season were seized in two separate incidents.

In the first incident, the police seized a total of 10.25 kilo ganja from the Edapally railway station premises on Tuesday night. Idukki native Manoj Thomas (43) and Jijo John (28), from Kottayam, were arrested.

The duo, acting as local distributors of the contraband, was trapped by cops outside the railway station following a tip-off. The substance was carried in a sack after being packed in polythene bags.

The accused confessed that they used to buy ganja in bulk from places like Murshidabad and Visakhapatnam. There are pending drug cases against the accused in Ernakulam, Kottayam and Idukki police stations.

"We are encouraging cultivation of tobacco that causes various types of cancer. At the other end, we are ignoring the medicinal properties of a plant that can help cancer patients."

Top oncologists of Bengaluru have decided to lobby with the Center to lift the ban on cannabis for medicinal purposes due to the health benefits of the drug.

Marijuana decriminalization and legalization initiatives are not only sweeping through the U.S. — countries across the world are beginning to signal the green light for cannabis policy reform.

Here are 10 countries where lawmakers and public sentiment are changing the tide on cannabis policy.

1. Jamaica

Jamaica — home to the Rastafarian movement — recently joined the list of countries to decriminalize marijuana, and this year it will be hosting the World Cannabis Cup in Negril Nov. 12-15.

Scientists in Israel have discovered that certain chemicals in cannabis help broken bones mend faster. This chemical can possibly slow down or avert the onset of osteoporosis. How do we treat this constant accumulation of evidence in support of medicinal use of marijuana?

RAMESWARAM: The Sri Lankan navy arrested four Indian fishermen and seized 165kg of ganja from them in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The incident happened a week after four Rameswaram fishermen had been apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy on charges of smuggling ganja.

According to Sri Lankan navy's website, four Indian fishermen were arrested by a naval craft of the North Central Naval Command during a routine patrolling in the seas north-west of Talaimannar and seized 165kg of ganja.

A dhow and fishing gears were also taken into naval custody. The arrested fishermen along the contraband were to be handed over to customs for further action, the website said.

New Delhi:  A huge quantity of marijuana worth about Rs 2.5 crore was seized from Palam village early morning on saturday and one person was arrested in this connection, police said.

Two constables of Palam Village police station were patrolling the area near the house of one Balkesh, when they found an autorickshaw. On inspection they found it laden with marijuana that was later found to be 400 kg in quantity, said, DCP (South West) R A Sanjeev said.

While the constables were checking the vehicle, two persons started running away. One of them escaped on a bike and headed towards Bagdola picket. He slipped and fell near the picket and was caught by one of the constables.

Long-term cannabis use may lead to weight gain, especially among men, says a new research.

"It is known - and often reported by users - that cannabis causes temporary increase in appetite. As to whether it actually causes weight gain in the long term, the available data is limited," said Didier Jutras-Aswad, professor at University of Montreal in Canada.

"The main finding of our study shows that long-term cannabis use indeed influences weight gain," Jutras-Aswad said.

"But above all, we noted that certain factors drastically modify this effect, including gender, level of use, and concomitant cigarette smoking," Jutras-Aswad added.

In India, substance abuse is on the rise and more and more people have started experimenting with drugs. While some are introduced to drugs at parties, others experiment out of sheer curiosity and get trapped into this deadly world.

Indians got to know about the date rape drugs, which made regular rounds at bars, pubs and discotheques, last year. Date rape drugs, which include Rohypnol, Ketamine and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), have been used to spike people's drinks to incapacitate and render them vulnerable to sexual assault.