cannabisnews.com: Indian Style Cannabis 





 Indian Style Cannabis 
Posted by CN Staff on February 26, 2003 at 07:51:22 PT
By Terry Friel 
Source: Financial Times UK
Jaisalmer, India -- Rajesh Vyas loves his job with a passion, always uses his own product -- and sincerely promises you will not turn into an orange or see pink elephants.From a small wooden hut near the gate to the 850-year-old Golden Fort in Jaisalmer, one of India's most popular tourist draws, Vyas and his brothers sell marijuana. Legally.
Vyas' customers munch, slurp and smoke their way through about 30 kg (66 lb) of "bhang", as it is called, every month in yoghurt drinks and fruit juices, cookies and chocolate, cigarettes and sweets, tea and sandwiches."Do not anticipate or analyse, just enjoy," advises the menu. "You will not see pink elephants, jump off tall buildings or turn into an orange. You will remember most of your experiences in the morning."Vyas insists bhang, also called vijaya (the winning stuff), is safer and better than alcohol and induces a mild euphoria and sense of wellbeing, eases pain and is not addictive."It's natural, it's not harmful to the body. In India, it's part of the culture," he says, weighing a 20-gram clump of green chocolate that will sell for about 400 rupees (5.70 pounds).Indian "bhang" is made of dried and ground cannabis leaves and is far weaker than products made from the plant's buds and resin and is legal in parts of India, where it has a long tradition of use for key religious festivals. RELIGIOUS USES  But some health experts warn it can be addictive and say long-term abuse can impair concentration, increase frustration and diminish the ability to carry out complex tasks.A mild hallucinogen, bhang is illegal in a few parts of India and in others available only through tightly controlled government-licensed shops, which buy from official suppliers.Its use is widely tolerated during major celebrations such as Holi, the festival of colour, which celebrates the arrival of spring.Vyas runs the only legal outlet in Jaisalmer, a tourism-dependent city of about 60,000, with two of his five brothers, a family of Hindu high-caste Brahmins."The Brahmin (priests) have been using bhang in puja (religious ceremonies) and to help them meditate for thousands of years," he adds. "It's a gift from God."Bhang is used as an offering at temples and is used mostly by ordinary Indians during one or two key religious festivals.It is also used by people such as auto-rickshaw drivers to help them cope with long hours of tedious and difficult work."It depends on the person," says Vyas. "If you want to sleep, you sleep, if you want to work, you work. After this, you can do what you want. It gives more power to the mind."Vyas's customers vary from locals whetting their appetite for dinner to foreign backpackers and Indian women tourists daring to try something different away from the strict rules of home.Some buy a "bhang pack" hamper to take on the popular camel safaris into the surrounding desert.The drinks and food on the menu come in medium strength (about 35 rupees, or 73 cents) and strong (about 45 rupees) and each customer is sized up for experience and body weight before the Vyas brothers settle on the right dose."It was pretty mild," says one European tourist, who did not want to give his name. "I tried a juice, and some chocolate and then a cigarette."It felt good, but not like the stronger stuff I've had."The family has been running the shop for almost three decades since it was started by Vyas's bhang-loving father, who at 65 still takes some every day."He does not believe in medicine. He says bhang is like medicine," says Vyas, who himself takes bhang every few days.The brothers make a comfortable living, although they say they could make more money in another business.But it's not about the money."Bhang is our family hobby," explains a smiling 27-year-old Prem Vyas, a daily user. Copyright: 2003 Reuters Limited Source: Financial Times (UK)Author: Terry Friel Published: February 26 2003 Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 2003Website: http://www.ft.com/Contact: letters.editor ft.comRelated Articles:Medical Marijuana: A History http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14573.shtml Reefer Madness: The Sequel http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10464.shtml
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