Everything you always wanted to know about cannabis culture in India

With mentions of weed dating back to the Vedas, the plant was woven throughout Indian history. From Shiv devotees to Bhang, the sky is the limit.

The clinical use of hemp has been illustrated in Ayurvedic messages and surprisingly associated with Lord Shiva. Cannabis is more of a part of our way of life than any individual can imagine. Even today, drinking bhang, especially during holi, is not a shame. Isn’t it time to celebrate and revitalize this culture?

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In any case, before joining this passing fad, we must remember that the criminalization of weed in India is a Western imperialist import that India has long tried to resist. Forced by the US in 1985, the Public Agency’s Narcotics and Psychotropic Act (NDPS) is an old law that tries to control cannabis use and appears to fail.

Bhang, ganja or charas, all of these were offered as “prasad” in Shiv temples across the country, making Bhole Nath or Lord Shiva practically brand ambassadors for weed in India. In India, the weed was not stigmatized, perhaps because it was considered medicine for poor people. In fact, recreational marijuana use was legal until 1985; there was government business in India. The 1961 Geneva Convention required all signatory states to stop the use and sale of drugs classified as destructive to which India adhered. Pot was negligently assembled with cocaine or heroin.

Be that as it may, the boycott was never really maintained. How do we know? In fact, a recent report by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences found that around 7.2 million Indians burned cannabis in the past year alone. In 2018, the country’s two largest cities, New Delhi and Mumbai, consumed 38.2 and 34 tons of marijuana, respectively. The study is based on data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Reports, which also reported that India has the lowest retail marijuana price in the world.

Varieties of weed or cream from Idukki, Malana, Bengal, Bihar, and Kasol are widely known for their remarkable high. The fame draws cannabis users from all over the world for some of the best trips. The increasing frequency of cannabis use is also reflected in the increasing number of shops and stalls selling rolling papers, cockroaches, and more, all of which benefit from this illegal use. The Bollywood film industry also has a history related to marijuana and all of its glory. From songs like Jai Jai Shiv Shankar, Manali Trance, Babaji Ki Booty to films like Kapoor and Sons, Go Goa Gone and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, you will discover many references.

So what is the weed culture in India again? A substance condemned when smoking, but not rejected when used as a bhang. The real question is, is marijuana as harmful as it is portrayed? Both alcohol and tobacco could kill more people than marijuana ever could, and it is less addicting. The most dangerous thing about weed in India right now is simply getting caught with it. Let us know what your country’s grass culture is like in the comments section below.