Charas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charas is the name given to hand-made hashish in India and Pakistan. It is typically grown in the Himalayas and is an important cash crop for the locals.
Contents |
[edit] History of charas
Charas has been known to be an integral aspect and also has been playing an important role in the Indian culture and ritual in the Hindu religion especially among the Shaivs - the sub-division of Hinduism who believe Lord Shiva as the supreme god in contrast to Vaishnavs who worship Lord Vishnu and is venerated as being one of the aspects of Lord Shiva. Charas has been used for thousands of years, for its medicinal and religious nature in Indian sub-continent too. It was even sold in government shops (along with opium) in the early days of the British Empire. It was as much part of Indian daily life as chai or chapatis.
Despite this long history, charas was made illegal in the 1980s and draconian sentences were introduced. Even the mere possession had a mandatory ten year prison sentence. These laws have now been somewhat relaxed, however Charas has been known to be a popular medium for police to extort bribes from consumers of the drug.
Even at the peak of the crackdown, Charas was still popular and it remains so today, especially amongst Indian sadhus.The Naga Sadhus , Aghoris , Tantriks of Bhairav sects smoke it freely because they claim its use as being an integral part of their daily life. Many smoke it in clay pipes called chillums , using a cotton cloth to cover the smoking end of the chillum or by inserting a tightly packed pebble sized ball of dried ganja or weed as filter for the chillum. Before lighting the chillum they will chant the many names of Shiva in veneration. The government even provides its supply in huge quantity to meet the demand during the largest gathering of sadhus of all sects during the Kumbh mela, or festival of the holy men.
[edit] Relevancy Of Charas In Indian Sub Continent
Today the best place for travellers to smoke charas is Manali and its surroundings in the northern mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh. It is also extensively available in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (F.A.T.A.) of Pakistan. For instance, the charas found in the mountainous areas of Teera in Aurakzai Agency (F.A.T.A.) is not less than gold for the consumers of Charas. The nearby city of Peshawar in the North West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P.) is the main centre of the charas transported from the Tribal Areas.
Charas was first exported illegally by professional drug dealers like Henry de Monfreid. Today many backpackers support their travels by smuggling some home with them to sell in the West.
There are many sub-varieties of Charas available today in India. As the Tarai and the sub-mountainous terrains along the Himalayan range provides the best environment for cannabis plants; the variety of Charas depends on the part of the states where its produced in. Northern states like Himachal Pradesh,Uttaranchal,Tarai region of Uttar Pradesh yield a darker, more dense and strong charas. While North-East states like Assam, Nagaland and others yield a strong chili like flavour and have a tan, brownish colour.
[edit] Local cultivation
What is considered among connoisseurs the best charas grown in India comes from the mountains, especially those of Kashmir. For this reason India has become very popular with backpackers and those involved in drug smuggling. The best charas is made very high up away from the police and is known as 'cream'.
Cannabis grown in high altitude conditions is known to be particularly strong. Potency can be related to natural selection of wild strains in harsh conditions. At high altitudes the ultraviolet radiation is strong and Cannabis exposed to ultraviolet radiation produces substantially more THC (the main mind-altering compound found in cannabis). It has been suggested that THC is produced as a defense against short wavelength ultraviolet light.
Charas is made by rubbing one's hands through the flowers and is long, tedious work. The resin sticks to one's palms and by the end of the day one has harvested perhaps 8 or 9 grams of charas. The faster one works, the lower the quality of charas. Hence to make 'cream' it is necessary to go very slowly and it is only possible to make a few grams a day.
This ancient art is disappearing under the pressure to capitalize on the domestic and international market for charas.
[edit] Effects
Charas is typically smoked through a chillum and although tobacco is also mixed in the effects can be very strong, even occasionally psychedelic. It is much purer than regular hashish in the West and, as such, a steady charas smoker may get through 10 grams a day. This weight is approximately a 'tolla' and at source will cost around 5-10 dollars, depending upon the quality. Cream, which is of higher quality, will cost about 20-30 USD in India.
The effects are similar to regular hash and marijuana available in the West, but the content of the active ingredient THC is generally close to that of high quality sinsemilla. Users report a strong dream-like experience where a feeling of warmth and relaxation is experienced. Users often become very laid back and relaxed. Strong feelings of hunger begin after smoking. A person can be recognised as a 'Charsi' (person who regularly uses Charas, referred to as a 'pot-head' in the West) by their glazed bloodshot eyes with heavy eyelids. In Pakistan Charas is sometimes called 'Gardaa' and is available in large but relatively thin (approx 1 cm) A4 size sheets from herbal shops or local sources. Gardaa has a pungent, spicy scent and is malleable into any shape, most commonly into small balls. It is most commonly smoked in 'joints' created by removing tobacco from a cigarette, mixing the crumbled charas with the tobacco then refilling the cigarette with the mixture.
| Cannabis Resources | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||
