From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Bhang, a weed used by Sadhus for concentration and by others as an intoxicant that makes one laugh, cry or repeatedly do same thing, may soon be available in the market as a medicine full of protein.
The scientists of the Lucknow-based National Biotanical Research Instite (NBRI) of the Government of India has developed three varieties of Bhang with a minimum of intoxicantion and a maximum protein.
They are busy establishing increased protein content in Bhang, opening up its use as a medicine if the selected samples picked up from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur give the constant result as it will open up farming of Bhang as medicinal plant.
The intoxicant THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is more than 5% in the Bhang plant. The scientists have succeeded in reducing it to 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% to make the new variety not intoxicant but good for health as many medicines can be made from its seeds since they are full of CBD (Cannabidiol) useful for producing high quality protein.