The legality of hemp products in India

Hello everybody,

I'll soon be arriving in India to stay for a while. I'd like to bring with me some hemp products for personal use (powder, and oil) for their incredible EFA and protein content respectively, and I'm curious as to the legal status of these in this country. These are incredible superfoods and it would be a shame to have to pack them out because of legal confusion between these (zero THC content) and cannabis (with THC). In fact, are these available for sale in India at all?

Please please relate your experiences and, from a legal point of view (with reference to case law and the statute books would be awesome), where things stand. I'd like to know.

Many thanks. Happy travels!

-Ami

Use Google, I need the boost in the stock price after a couple of really hard days. As my spouse says my retirement now is the ride in the ambulance to the hospital..

http://www.hemp.com/hemp-university/...-growing-hemp/

Thank you for the link. But what is the exact legal situation? Google is an evident place to search - on IndiaMike I hesitated to hope I might find focussed answers.

I think my question concerns more the importation of hemp products per se, i.e. would customs be cool finding hemp powder in my bag if I got searched?

Good luck with the stock market Edward.

Thanks I got some today! Nah, I really doubt anyone will look twice at it as a nutritional supplement. They really don't pay much attention unless you look hinky. They may not even know what it is. Where you have to watch out is in the Gulf states where they go bezerk over rolls with seads and such.

Came back a couple of months ago with hemp potato chips from hempcon in Oakland. Fed them to an austere group and didn't notice any mental effect. Boy, they ate up the snacks with relish though..

Check this site out. It is the official site of central board of excise and customs. All the rules related to what you can or cannot bring into India are listed here.
http://www.cbec.gov.in/cae1-english.htm

Hemp-based fabrics, bags, etc are available here. I don't know about food products, though, I didn't know about that.

Here's another link. It takes you to the Central Bureau of Narcotics (a government of India organisation) website that has a list of definitions on what is "narcotic". I don't think this hemp powder is mentioned anywhere as narcotic. But please do check these two sites thoroughly.
http://www.cbn.nic.in/html/importexportcbn.htm

PS: I stand corrected. If the terms explained in this website are strictly followed then what you propose to bring in is perhaps not allowed. I think the item would be classified as "narcotic drug".

Edible Hemp products in any form are banned in India. Hemp milk is such a good substitute, and what to talk of hemp cheese! But unfortunately India has no policy to distinguish between THC and zero THC thing in hemp produce. As for packaged hemp products, it is almost certain that in India ,no one will be aware that they exist*. But then again, it comes to personal choice, if you wish to take a chance or not.
* It may also be that they are not even in list of banned items, which may be good for you.

Like Edward says,it's probably not India that you need to worry about,it's the Gulf States where people have been banged up for carrying things such as paracetamol to rolling tobacco.KK

Thank you all kindly for your replies. The information is very useful. And yes I have heard those horror stories about the Gulf. Guess where I'm transitting through...

It's mind-boggling really in India, the paradox between the hedonism and conservatism concerning cannabis and hemp respectively. Oh well. I'll see about what to do.

Thank you. Be well!

Have a good trip in any case..

Definitely don't take LSD!!
KK

I noticed "Meascaline" on the list. India is worried about its cats becoming hippy trippy kitties!

Meeeoorw.

You cards..