Dr. Shriram Nene calls India’s approach to Cannabis 'Hypocritical,' recalls medical use in US
Mumbai: Renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Shriram Nene, who is also the husband of actor Madhuri Dixit, has criticised India’s stance on cannabis, calling it “hypocritical” in comparison to its regulated medical use in other countries, including the United States.
Speaking on his health and wellness YouTube channel during a conversation with YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, Dr. Nene shared his experience of prescribing cannabis to cancer patients in the US, where medical marijuana is legal under controlled conditions.
“In India, there’s a bit of hypocrisy, it’s not that big of a deal,” Dr. Nene remarked, pointing out that while substances like ‘bhaang’ have been culturally accepted and traditionally used by ascetics and others, the broader discourse around cannabis continues to be burdened by stigma and legal constraints.
He elaborated that during his time as a practicing surgeon in the US, cannabis was commonly recommended for patients undergoing chemotherapy, particularly to alleviate nausea and improve appetite. It was also prescribed for those suffering from chronic fatigue and similar conditions.
Dr. Nene acknowledged the concerns surrounding the misuse of cannabis but underlined the need to distinguish between unregulated recreational use and prescribed medical application. “Cannabis has legitimate therapeutic benefits when used in the right medical context,” he said, emphasising the importance of scientific evaluation over societal fear.
The comments come amid growing global conversations about the decriminalisation and medical use of cannabis. While several countries have moved to relax laws and regulate cannabis for health-related purposes, India continues to classify it under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, barring limited exceptions like bhaang.
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India has agreed already to drop its tariffs to nothing: President Trump
New York/Washington, May 7 (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said India has “agreed” to drop its high tariffs “to nothing”.
“I mean, India as an example, has one of the highest tariffs in the world. We’re not going to put up with that, and they’ve agreed already to drop it. They’ll drop it to nothing. They’ve already agreed. They would have never done that for anybody else but me,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump and visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke to reporters as they met in the Oval Office to discuss the US-Canada trade.
“So we’re going to put down some numbers and we’re going to say our country is open for business and they’re going to come in and they’re going to pay for the privilege of being able to shop in the United States of America. It’s very simple. It’s very simple,” he added.
In the past, Trump has called India “tariff king” and a “big abuser”.
Last month, Trump had said that negotiations with India over a bilateral trade deal are “coming along great” and he thinks “we’ll have a deal with India”.
