Ethnomedicinal uses of weeds as psychoactive plants from Moradabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Many medicinal plants that might aid in the treatment of various mental and psychiatric illnesses have long been utilised by the residents of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Between April 2022 and July 2023, a comprehensive and rigorous ethno-botanical investigation of agricultural and wasteland weed plants was undertaken, resulting in the documentation of 39 species utilised by local inhabitants and farmers for psycho-medicinal or psychoactive applications of these ruderals and agrestal plant species. The botanical examination of psycho-medicinal weed plants encompasses 39 species from 32 genera, classified within 19 distinct APG-IV families. An extensive and intensive field survey of weeds as psycho-medicinal plants was conducted across various villages in 8 blocks of 4 tehsils within the Moradabad district, utilising interviews with local inhabitants and farmers. Data pertaining to the applications of weeds in psycho-medicine was gathered from elderly individuals and informed youth, in alignment with the ethical guidelines set forth by the International Society of Ethno-biology. On analysis identified 19 weed species, classified as ruderal weeds, 4 species categorised as agrestal weeds, and 16 species that fall into both categories. The study indicates that among the reported weed species, the predominant habit was herb, comprising 16 species, followed by under shrub with 9 species, climbing herb with 6 species, creeping herb with 4 species, and shrub also with 4 species. The botanical name, APG-IV family, and as well as the local names, sections used, and their applications, are provided for each plant species, in addition to their phenological data. The psycho-medicinal Cannabis plant species offers therapeutic benefits for a range of mental health conditions, such as epilepsy, headache, migraine, hydrophobia, insomnia, memory impairment, psychoneurosis, and severe mental disorders, and is also utilised in various religious ceremonies. It highlights how crucial it is to include indigenous knowledge to promote sustainable development and protect the environment. To catalogue and conserve significant ethno-botanical flora for future generations, current initiatives incorporate local people engagement in species conservation.