Beyond Holi and bhang, the many uses of cannabis – from medicine to rope-making

First, how exactly is Bhang extracted?

The cannabis plant can be 4 to 10 feet tall at maturity. It is found mainly in the Indo-Gangetic plains – in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal – along with the Deccan region. Cannabis is termed Ganzai in Telugu, Ganja in Tamil, and Bangi in Kannada.

Its plant also grows on wastelands and can easily be spotted on roadsides.

Three products can be obtained from the plant – fibre, oil, and narcotics. Bhang is obtained from the seeds and leaves of the plant, which are reduced to powder. Then, the powder is filtered and prepared for drinking, mixed often with cold, flavoured milk or thandai on Holi.

What are some of the uses of cannabis?

One of the lesser-known uses of cannabis is in manufacturing. For instance, Hemp-seed oil is used in varnish industries as a substitute for linseed oil, and in the manufacturing of soft soap. It has many medicinal uses, too.

The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has documented different uses of cannabis in its Inventory of Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Agriculture, a project on the collection, documentation and validation of indigenous technical knowledge. It was published in 2002-03. Here are some of the examples it mentioned:

Treatment of animals by ash of Cannabis sativus

As per ICAR, the ash of cannabis is applied on animals’ skin in cases of haematoma, a condition in which blood clots outside of the blood vessels. This treatment has been done in Kumaun Hills, Uttarakhand. [Chander and Mukherjee (1994)]

Extraction of fibre and seeds from cannabis for making ropes

Cannabis is cultivated in the Chhota/Bada Bhangal of Kangra and the Karsog area of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh.

While cultivation for extraction of addictive narcotics is illegal, states allow controlled and regulated cultivation of cannabis for obtaining its fibre and seed for industrial or horticultural purposes.

After maturation, the harvested crop is set aside to dry. After drying, the seeds are collected and the fibre is separated from the stems and branches. Its fibre is stronger than jute and is used for making ropes. [Verma (1998)]

Use of cannabis leaves for germination of paddy seeds

The ICAR document noted Dr M. P. Gupta, Director of Extension Education, Sher-Etemperature Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu and Kashmir, as elaborating on the use of cannabis in agriculture.

“Treating paddy seed with bhang is effective in paddy seed germination and this treatment is common in temperate areas of Jammu and Kashmir, where temperature during nursery raising is low. Green leaves of bhang (Cannabis sativa) are ground and the sap is extracted. Paddy seed is put in a container containing water and the extracted sap is mixed in the container. About 250 ml sap is effective for the purpose, probably because of rise in temperature owing to bhang sap in water,” it said.

It added that the technique is simple and inexpensive.

Use of cannabis as a pesticide

As per the ICAR, the plants are used for controlling threadworms in paddy nurseries by the farmers of the Solki area of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The cannabis plant is uprooted and kept in standing water of a paddy nursery to control threadworms. If the problem is severe, then crushed leaves are put in standing water to kill the worms.

Use of cannabis to cure shivering in cattle

According to the ICAR, “Sometimes cattle start shivering; especially the milching cattle. Main symptoms are feeding stoppage, salivation persistence and lethargy.”

To combat this, cannabis (approximately 1 kg) is boiled with an equal quantity of water and then the sieved substance is given to the infected animal through a bamboo feeder or pipe twice a day, for 5-6 days. The practice has been followed in Theong tehsil of Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh “since time immemorial,” it states.

Use of cannabis leaves for treating honey bee or wasp sting

This is a common practice in the Amathrad village of Kangra. Here, cannabis leaves are heated and crushed to make a paste. This is applied to the area of swelling, caused due to the stinging of the wasp or honey bee, and wrapped with a cloth. It helps bring relief from irritation and pain.