Kalahandi, March 12: The Odisha police have seized 1,400 kilograms of cannabis, valued at around Rs 1 crore, from a Uttar Pradesh-bound truck in Kalahandi. The seizure was made near Baddharpur village under the jurisdiction of Narla.

The driver Ajaya Singh Rajput and helper Firoj Khan of the truck were trying to escape when they were nabbed by Narla Police. The contraband in the truck was taken from Rayagada to Mathura of Uttar Pradesh.

Cannabis has long been used for hemp fibre, for hemp oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber.

But direct use, possession, and consumption of cannabis by individuals is banned in India. Recently, Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Enterprises CEO, Acharya Balkrishna, had said in an interview that cannabis should be allowed in India for medicinal purposes and added that cannabis has been used in Ayurveda since ancient times. This had fuelled the expectation among many that with Patanjali endorsing the idea of cannabis getting legalised, the government of India may soon consider making cannabis, also known as 'pot' legal in India. But there was no announcement by the government after it.

Here is what the CEO of Patanjali, Acharya Balkrishna, had said in an interview to Quartz, "We should ponder over the benefits and positive uses of the cannabis plant". This had sent the twitter in a frenzy. However, there are countries in the world where possession and consumption of cannabis is allowed either partially or in restricted quantity.

However, there are countries in the world which have legalised or allowed the consumption of cannabis with or without restrictions. To know the countries where cannabis is legal, click on the link to know the countries in the world which have made cannabis legal. 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2018 12:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).