Is Bhang Legal in West Bengal

In states where the sale of bhang is legal, bhang golis or golas are sold openly at low prices in places like Paan stores with little or no regulation. [24] Devotion to Shiva also includes the consummation of Bhang, which culminates in the annual Maha Shivaratri celebrations (the night of Shiva`s cosmic dance of destruction). Many folk songs across the country, especially in northern India, refer to the cannabis plant and especially Bhang as the nectar of the gods. On special occasions such as the Hindu Holi festival, fresh marigold flowers frame hand-drawn menus in blood-red letters, cashew and almond milkshakes are mixed with bhang and served endlessly, and foreign tourists with psychedelic mandalas and trident tattoos stand in the same queue as local Indian families in search of their bhang supply. “Bhang [which is legal] is a paste made by grinding cannabis leaves and stems in a machine or manually [through a pestle and mortar],” said itshemp`s Srijan Sharma. His business is the first and largest market in India where you can buy medical and sustainable cannabis products. He works closely with many licensed cannabis producers who grow and collect cannabis from Uttarakhand. “But ganja (weed), made from the flowers of the cannabis plant, and charas (hashish), which is extracted from the plant`s resin, are illegal to sell and use.” An edible mixture made from the buds, leaves and flowers of marijuana plants, Bhang has often deviated into the religious realm due to its association with the Hindu deity Shiva. Come Holi, and its unbridled sale and consumption follow, mainly by mixing a sugary milk drink called thandai. If you want to include this in your celebrations this year, consider shopping at these government-licensed stores in Bhang. Weed, marijuana, bhang, charas, ganja and so on, cannabis has received many names and forms in India over thousands of years. Cannabis is part of India, especially in the Hindu religion, which is used in the form of charas (resin), bhang (seed) and ganja (cannabis flower). Bhang is part of the ancient Hindu tradition and custom of the Indian subcontinent.

In some rural areas of India, people attribute various medicinal properties to the cannabis plant. When taken correctly, Bhang is believed to cure fever, dysentery, and sunstroke, remove mucus, aid digestion, increase appetite, heal speech blemishes and lisps, and give the body alertness. [20] Since then, there has been an argument for or against legalizing this drug. The law could make no real difference, although it transferred a legal source of state revenue to international drug cartels. Another argument that should be explored in this case is that cannabis can become a gateway drug, that is, it can provide access to other hard drugs. According to one study, 45% of cannabis users have taken another illegal drug at some point, and therefore the legalization of cannabis may reinforce this trend, as more adults who want to try cannabis may end up trying other hard drugs. But this may run counter to the fact that even if cannabis is made illegal, it is not certain that people will refrain from resorting to other options, including hard drugs. It is important to note that substance abuse can be a psychological rather than a physical problem and therefore substance abuse should be considered a chronic disease rather than a crime. Thus, instead of punishing, various rehabilitation programs can be launched to help people become addicted to these drugs. This would not only reduce the number of chronically dependent patients, but would also reduce the overall use of cannabis and other hard drugs.

The most commonly used form of cannabis in India is in the form of bhang, which is used to make “thandai”, a milkshake with cannabis seeds and leaves consumed during the Hindu festivals of Holi and Shivratri, the Sikh festival of Hola Mohalla and other festive forms. However, is weed legal in India? is the main question that still arises when someone mentions weed, marijuana, or bhang. The definition of cannabis under the NDPS Act also excludes Bhang in the plant. Over the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in the global cannabis market, which is now estimated at a billion-dollar industry. In the U.S., cannabis is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21% by the end of 2021, representing approximately $7.5 billion in revenue year-over-year. The global market value of legal marijuana is expected to be approximately $146.4 billion by the end of 2025. “Uttar Pradesh, for example, allows cannabis [for bhang] to be grown and sold statewide, but in Punjab you can only sell it in bhang shops in designated areas. Rajasthan, on the other hand, does not issue licenses for the cultivation of cannabis, but for sale,” he explained.

In 1596, a Dutchman, Jan Huyghen van Linschoten, wrote three pages on the “bangue” in a book documenting his travels in the Orient. He also mentioned Egyptian hashish, Turkish boza, Turkish Bernavi and Arabic forms of Bursj consumption. [11] [12] [13] Despite other accounts, contemporary historian Richard Davenport-Hines cites British adventurer Thomas Bowrey[16][17][18] of the late 17th century[14][15] and early 18th century as the first Westerner to document the use of bhang. [19] The sensational drug case surrounding the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput has put several celebrities under the scanner while making sensational headlines on news channels. The case has also sparked renewed interest in the legality of weed or marijuana in India. In recent days, chat messages purporting to come from actors discussing the supply of cannabis products such as hashish have spread.