A Review of Historical Context and Current Research on Cannabis Use in India

Background: The cultivation and use of cannabis is historically rooted in the Indian subcontinent and this rich heritage of cannabis use dates back to at least two thousand years. Cannabis remains an illicit substance in India despite its changing status globally with many countries legalizing cannabis use in recent years. Scientific research on cannabis use in India has also been sparse. Method: Extensive search of online databases resulted in the identification of 29 original research studies pertaining to one of three areas of cannabis research; a) prevalence of cannabis use b) psychological correlates of cannabis use, c) cannabis use in substance use treatment settings. Findings: We found that most Indian studies used very basic quantitative research designs and had poor scientific rigor. Samples were small, region specific and included only males. Data analyses were limited to descriptive methods. The criteria for cannabis use in most of the reviewed studies were not rigorous and prone to biases. Conclusion & Implications: With changing attitudes and loosening of restrictions on cannabis use, the prevalence of new users is rising dramatically particularly in the college going population. This presents a strong need for research on motivations and attitudes to cannabis use and how those can influence patterns of use, and also the short- and long-term effects of use. More studies with stronger research designs (both cross sectional and longitudinal) are required for the study of cannabis use and this knowledge will be critical for managing the growing substance epidemic, generating public health solutions as well as formulating effective policy frameworks.