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'Alternative' pharmacies new hubs of Goa's drugs biz
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SME Times News Bureau | 15 May, 2022
Not
its beaches, not the bars, not the shady shacks, alternative pharmacies
may well have emerged as the new hub for the drug trade in Goa,
according to the state police.
Already known for
its narcotics trade, the tiny state is now facing another form of
addiction where medicinal products suspected to be containing cannabis
are sold in pharmacies. One such pharmacy was raided by the police in
Porvorim in North Goa on May 11, and cannabis-based medicinal products
worth around Rs 2.23 lakh were seized.
According to North Goa
Superintendent of Police Shobhit Saxena, the police raided the pharmacy
and found various products containing cannabis being displayed for sale.
"Upon enquiring about the permissions or licences required for selling
cannabis based products in a store in Goa, the staff was unable to
provide any documents," Saxena said.
"Accordingly, as no
permission was found for selling the cannabis-based medicines and
products in Goa from any authority, the police seized all the products
weighing approximately 7 kgs. Total worth Rs 2.23 lakh," Saxena added.
Doctors
practicing Ayurveda are of the opinion that if someone indulges in the
business of selling such products in the name of Ayurveda without taking
permission from the authorities, then the government should take
action.
Goa Ayurvedic Medical Association President Dr
Dharmendra Prabhudesai told IANS that if anyone is selling such products
without permission then it is wrong. "I feel the government should keep
a check on such activities," he said.
Goa is increasingly known
as a narco-tourism hotspot and many arrive in the coastal state with
the intention of �trade' and �consumption'. In 2020 the BJP government
in Goa was reportedly considering to legalise the cultivation of
marijuana or cannabis for medicinal purposes. However after facing
opposition the plan was dropped.
There are many incidents where
even tourists visiting the state where arrested for growing marijuana.
In 2018 a Russian couple was arrested for growing marijuana inside their
rented apartment in the beach village of Anjuna in North Goa. In the
following year in 2019, a four-member Russian gang was arrested on the
same charges and in 2020 yet another Russian national was arrested from
Morjim in North Goa for growing marijuana in rented premises.
In
June last year, the Narcotics Control Bureau had busted a narcotics
racket in Anjuna in which an ice-cream parlour was used as a front for
providing ecstasy tablets.
While 898 raids were conducted in
2016, 818 raids were conducted in 2017. In 2018 and 2019, 1006 and 1179
raids were conducted respectively. In 2020, 891 raids were conducted.
Apart from the local police, other police agencies involved in
anti-narcotics raids include the Goa Police Crime Branch and the
Anti-Narcotics Cell.
Now the Goa police has another task -- to identify pharmacies selling cannabis-based medicinal products. Fr.
Freddy Braganca, executive director of the Centre for Responsible
Tourism, a body which functions under the aegis of the Goa Church, had
written a letter to Goa's Tourism Ministry in 2020 saying the policy
which was cleared by the Goa cabinet (then), ignored serious issues like
environment degradation, sex tourism, easy availability of drugs,
trafficking in women and children.
Former DySP Lavoo Mamledar
said that police should take strict action if anyone is found in
possession of narcotic substances and selling them in the name of
Ayurveda. "Narcotics have brought a bad name to the state. Now the new
trend emerging in Goa should be monitored and a check kept on cannabis
infused products supply," Mamledar added.
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