Kozhikode: A case was registered against a juice stall owner on Monday after the eatery was found selling milkshakes with ganja seed in them.
The Narcotic Enforcement Squad inspected the shop located on Gujarati Street at Thekkekadappuram here. Members of the squad said shop had ground the ganja seeds into oil before adding it to the milkshakes.
The squad also seized a 200ml mixture with hemp seed and ganja seeds in it. The case was registered against the shop under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
The oil mixture has been sent to the regional chemical lab for testing. Further proceedings will depend on the test results, Assistant Excise Commissioner N Sugunan said.
"The marijuana seeds are brought to the state from Delhi. The Excise Department suspects that more shops use such substances to lure in students," an excise official said.
Many people had taken to social media to claim that a juice stall on Gujarati Street was mixing ganja seeds in milkshakes.
The inspection was undertaken under Narcotic Enforcement Squad CI VR Girish based on a complaint filed with the Excise Commissioner.
Owner says its hemp seeds
The juice stall owner Dr Subhashish denied allegations and said his shop added hemp seed oil to the milkshakes and not ganja seeds. "Adding hemp seeds to food items is permitted by the Food Authority of India. Hemp seeds are rich in protein. It has Omega 2, Omega 3 and fatty acids. It helps in hair growth and nourishes the skin. The Food Authority permitted the usage of hemp seeds on November 15, 2021. The shop adhered to all the requirements laid out by them," he said.
What are hemp seeds
Hemp seeds are small, brown seeds from the Cannabis sativa plant. The term “hemp” is used to mean cannabis that contains 0.3 per cent or less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content by dry weight, according to Healthline. Because the THC level in hemp is low, it is unlikely to get a person high.
