indian state goverment sells cannabis

[mopsie]

Indian State Government Sells Cannabis
Sunday 26 March 2006

The government of the Indian state of Punjab is in the wholesale cannabis business, the Times of India reported Monday. The state government sells bhang, an intoxicating preparation made from the leaves and flowers of the marijuana plant, known locally as "sukha.

The Times reported that next week, the state’s Excise Department, which is responsible for allocating liquor licenses, will also allocate a wholesale "vend" of bhang in Hoshiapur district. The state government has set a price of about $7,000 US to a New Delhi vendor, a senior department official told the newspaper.

"We supply the bhang to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and certain other states in the country," the bhang vendor told The Tribune on the phone from Delhi. "We have set up a huge infrastructure, including a cleansing system, to collect bhang from hemp plants in the Hoshiarpur belt and to supply it to MP, Rajasthan and other areas in the country", he added.

Cannabis is generally prohibited in most Indian states, but is commonly used in religious ceremonies such as the Holi festival in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and other states. It is also used for religious purposes in the Punjab. On the other hand, the Indian government’s Narcotics Control Bureau has uprooted large tracts of marijuana plants in Kulu and Manali, where they are a favorite of foreign tourists, and has filed criminal charges against those found growing the herb illegally.

No word yet from the UN’s International Narcotics Control Board.

Source : Hightimes.com

[motorhead]

Yes this is great news. I dont know of anywhere else in the world where you can sell cannabis legally, as in state sponsored legally. Makes sense though-cannabis tradition in India is thousands of years old. They were the first culture to use it recreationally. Hope the national government or international forces dont get involved.
I wonder if they have a Macdonalds in Punjab. Anyone for a MacBhaang?

[enquirewithin]

In the town of Puri, a temple town on the East Coast of India, there are still official shops that sell grass and opium. Bhang, as a drink, is available in other temple towns like Pushkar as well. However, the legal cannabis is not very potent, partly because people can't afford expensive stuff. You can buy the drink bhang lassi in many places but don't expect that much!

If you really want to smoke in India head up north to Manali, where the good hash comes from. It's not legal, but not a problem if you are discreet. There are occasionally problems leaving the major growing areas like the Parvati Valley and that is because of international interest (greedy Westerners)

There are McDonalds in India, sadly, but they sell "Maharaja" burgers not hamburgers, but no drugs. They have got to Punjab, too.

[StigmataLectron]

Ohhhhh hell fucken yeah. I heart you, India.

Any word on restrictions to buying it, like age or drug tourism laws? This seems even better than the Netherlands. What are the Indian laws on posession?

[enquirewithin]

It's not really better than the Netherlands. By law you can still get something like seven years in jail for possesion of cannabis, which is doubtless a response to the regressive US war on drugs, although I suppose that the ''bhang' beverasge would be an exception. The 'bhang' beverage which is sold is not strong. Hash is not legal, even if it is easily available.

[Curtains]

good news

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