bhang

Bhang (IAST: Bhāṅg) is an edible preparation made from the leaves of the cannabis plant originating from the Indian subcontinent.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=trUgpMbT5gcC&pg=PA1674 |title=The Cross Name Index to Medicinal Plants, Vol. IV: Plants in Indian medicine, p. 1674, ISBN 9780849326356, OCLC 34038712 |last=Torkelson|first=Anthony R. |date=1996 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9780849326356 }}{{cite journal |author1=Helen Schreider |author2=Frank Schreider |author1-link=Helen and Frank Schreider |author2-link=Helen and Frank Schreider |title=From The Hair of Siva |journal=National Geographic |date=October 1960 |volume=118 |issue=4 |pages=445–503}} Cannabis sativa is the scientific name of the plant whose leaves are used for bhang preparation.{{Cite journal |last=Kajal |first=Versha |last2=Boora |first2=Sanjit |last3=Wadhwa |first3=Sapna |last4=Soniya |first4=Kumari |last5=Yadav |first5=Suman |last6=Kaushik |first6=Sulochana |last7=Kaushik |first7=Samander |date=2023-08-04 |title=In silico approaches for study the therapeutic potential of Cannabis sativa (Bhang) against HIV |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s13596-023-00697-z |journal=Advances in Traditional Medicine |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=285–303 |doi=10.1007/s13596-023-00697-z |issn=2662-4052|url-access=subscription }} Bhang is believed to be the least harmful form of cannabis preparation and also shows medicinal use in ancient India. This is because it does not contain the top flowering plant or the resin produced by the cannabis plant.{{Cite journal |last=EL–Gohary |first=Mona |last2=Eid |first2=Manal A |date=March 2004 |title=Effect of cannabinoid ingestion (in the form of bhang) on the immune system of high school and university students |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1191/0960327104ht426oa |journal=Human & Experimental Toxicology |language=en |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=149–156 |doi=10.1191/0960327104ht426oa |issn=0960-3271}} It was used in food and drink as early as 1000 BCE in ancient India.{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/httpmunchies-vice-comarticlesthe-bhang-lassi-is-how-hindus-drink-themselves-high-for-shiva/ |title=The Bhang Lassi Is How Hindus Drink Themselves High for Shiva |author=Staelens, Stefanie |website=Vice.com |date=10 March 2015 |access-date=10 August 2017 |archive-date=11 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811011827/https://munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/kbx94a/httpmunchies-vice-comarticlesthe-bhang-lassi-is-how-hindus-drink-themselves-high-for-shiva |url-status=live }}{{cite book|author=Courtwright, David T.|title=Forces of Habit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GHqV3elHYvMC|year=2009|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674029-90-3|access-date=16 June 2019|archive-date=20 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420191048/https://books.google.com/books?id=GHqV3elHYvMC|url-status=live}} Bhang is traditionally distributed during the spring festival of Maha Shivaratri and Holi.{{cite news|title=Right kick for day-long masti|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Right-kick-for-day-long-masti/articleshow/32109558.cms|date=16 March 2014|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=7 April 2019|archive-date=17 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417154318/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Right-kick-for-day-long-masti/articleshow/32109558.cms|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Holi 2014: Festival Of Colors Celebrates Spring (SONGS, PHOTOS)|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/16/holi-2014_n_4965026.html|work=Huffington Post|date=16 March 2014|access-date=17 March 2014|archive-date=17 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317012911/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/16/holi-2014_n_4965026.html|url-status=live}} Bhang is mainly used in bhang shops, which sell the cannabis-infused Indian drinks bhang lassi and bhang thandai.{{Cite web|title=Thandai in Mumbai: 12 bars in the city to get more bhang for your buck|url=https://www.gqindia.com/live-well/content/thandai-in-mumbai-bars-in-the-city-bhang-holi-2020|access-date=2020-08-05|website=GQ India|date=9 March 2020|language=en-IN|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030221616/https://www.gqindia.com/live-well/content/thandai-in-mumbai-bars-in-the-city-bhang-holi-2020|url-status=live}}

Western documentation

Garcia de Orta, a Portuguese Jewish physician based in Goa, wrote extensively on bangue in his Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India (1563),{{Cite web|title=GARCIA DA ORTA|url=http://antiquecannabisbook.com/chap2B/India/Garcia-Orta.htm|access-date=2020-08-05|website=antiquecannabisbook.com|archive-date=29 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029165908/http://antiquecannabisbook.com/chap2B/India/Garcia-Orta.htm|url-status=live}} including its recreational use by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat and by many Portuguese.{{Cite journal|last=Ball|first=V.|date=1889|title=A Commentary on the Colloquies of Garcia de Orta, on the Simples, Drugs, and Medicinal Substances of India: Part I|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy|volume=1|pages=381–415|jstor=20503854|issn=0301-7400}} He explicitly rejected the notion of the Indian plant that produces bangue being the same as the European hemp plant (alcanave).{{Cite web|title=GARCIA DA ORTA|url=http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap02/India/Garcia-Orta.htm|access-date=2020-08-05|website=reefermadnessmuseum.org|archive-date=29 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029040827/http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap02/India/Garcia-Orta.htm|url-status=live}}

In 1596, a Dutchman, Jan Huyghen van Linschoten, wrote three pages on "Bangue" in a work documenting his journeys in the East. He also mentioned the Egyptian hashish, the Turkish boza, Turkish bernavi and the Arabic bursj forms of consumption.{{Cite book|last=Booth|first=Martin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mjn6sCiHoFIC&q=Jan+Huyghen+van+Linschoten+Bhang&pg=PA95|title=Cannabis: A History|date=2011-09-30|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-1-4090-8489-1|pages=95|language=en|access-date=5 November 2020|archive-date=20 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420191048/https://books.google.com/books?id=Mjn6sCiHoFIC&q=Jan+Huyghen+van+Linschoten+Bhang&pg=PA95|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Voyage of Huyghen Van Linschoten to the East Indies|url=http://gexabo.yn.fanypy.pw/voyage-of-huyghen-van-linschoten-to-the-east-indies-6ks.php|access-date=2020-08-05|website=gexabo.yn.fanypy.pw|archive-date=27 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027231826/http://gexabo.yn.fanypy.pw/voyage-of-huyghen-van-linschoten-to-the-east-indies-6ks.php|url-status=dead}}{{cite book |date=1885 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/voyagejohnhuygh02tielgoog/page/n136 115]–117|author1=Burnell, Arthur Coke |author2=Tiele, P.A.|name-list-style=amp |url=https://archive.org/details/voyagejohnhuygh02tielgoog |title=The voyage of John Huyghen van Linschoten to the East Indies |series=from the old English translation of 1598: the first book, containing his description of the East |place=London |publisher=The Hakluyt Society}} Full text at Internet Archive. [https://archive.org/stream/voyagejohnhuygh02tielgoog#page/n135/mode/2up Chapter on Bangue]. Despite the other accounts, the contemporary historian Richard Davenport-Hines lists the late-17th-century{{Cite book|last=Davenport-Hines|first=Richard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dFRd2MMrtiUC|title=The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics|date=2003-11-10|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=978-0-393-32545-4|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Kenneally|first=Christine|date=2002-09-29|title=The Peace That Passeth|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/29/books/the-peace-that-passeth.html|access-date=2020-08-05|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725104051/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/29/books/the-peace-that-passeth.html|url-status=live}} and early-18th-century British adventurer Thomas Bowrey{{Cite web|date=2013-09-16|title=1675: English sailors get high on cannabis in India|url=https://alphahistory.com/pastpeculiar/1675-english-sailors-cannabis-india/|access-date=2020-08-05|website=Past Peculiar|language=en-US|archive-date=20 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420191043/https://alphahistory.com/pastpeculiar/1675-english-sailors-cannabis-india/|url-status=live}}{{Cite journal|last=Wigmore|first=James|date=2019-01-10|title=First Description of Cannabis Use in 1675|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331641255 |doi=10.13140/RG.2.2.15228.39042 |website=ResearchGate}}{{Cite news|last=Kennedy|first=Maev|date=2006-02-25|title=17th-century cannabis pioneer's journal found|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/feb/25/drugsandalcohol.maevkennedy|access-date=2020-08-05|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610134757/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/feb/25/drugsandalcohol.maevkennedy|url-status=live}} as the first Westerner to document the use of bhang.{{cite book|last=Davenport-Hines|first=Richard|title=The Pursuit of Oblivion: a global history of narcotics 1500—2000|year=2001|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|location=London|isbn=0297643754|pages=1–2}}

Preparation

File:Bhang ki Patti ka Peda.JPG made with bhang leaves]]

Using a mortar and pestle, the leaves of cannabis are ground into a paste which can be added to foods. For a beverage it is mixed with milk and filtered, then often flavored with kusha grass, sugar, fruit, and various spices. In Mathura it can be found in bhang thandai and bhang lassi. Bhang is also mixed with ghee and sugar to make a purple halva, and into peppery, chewy little balls called goli (which means "tablet" or "pill") in Hindi. Another form is bhang chutney, also called bhangeera ki chutney, a dish served in Kumaoni cuisine from Uttarakhand. It is made from grinding cannabis/bhang seeds with mint, tomatoes and different spices.

Culture

File:Bhang eaters before two huts (6124556163).jpg

Bhang is part of the ancient Hindu tradition and custom in the Indian subcontinent. In some parts of rural India, people attribute various medicinal properties to the cannabis plant. If taken in proper quantity, bhang is believed to cure fever, dysentery, and sunstroke, to clear phlegm, aid in digestion, increase appetite, cure speech imperfections and lisping, and give alertness to the body.{{citation|url=http://www.happyholifestival2016.in|title=Holi Festival|access-date=8 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017012556/http://www.happyholifestival2016.in/|archive-date=17 October 2016|url-status=dead}} Tradition of Bhang{{Failed verification|date=March 2024}}

Bhang lassi is a preparation of powdered green inflorescence with curd and whey put in a village blender (a hand-blending operation is carried out until the butter rises). It is regarded as tasty and refreshing. It is legal in many parts of India and mainly sold during Holi, when pakoras containing bhang are also sometimes eaten. Uttar Pradesh has licensed bhang shops, and in many places in India one can buy bhang products and drink bhang lassis. Some states such as Bihar and West Bengal also allow the production of bhang. States like Rajasthan do not allow production of bhang but do allow procurement and sale of bhang from such states where production is legal.{{Cite web|title=Rajasthan Excise Department Website: Licensing Issues - BHANG|url=https://rajexcise.gov.in/RSED/ASP/web/bhang.htm|access-date=2021-06-23|website=rajexcise.gov.in|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202418/https://rajexcise.gov.in/RSED/ASP/web/bhang.htm|url-status=dead}}

The tradition of consuming bhang lassi during Holi is particularly common in North India, where Holi itself is celebrated with a fervor unseen elsewhere. Bhang is heavily consumed in Mathura, an ancient town of religious importance to Hindus.{{Cite web|date=17 March 2016|first=Rajeev|last=Dikshit|title=Mathura beats Shiva's Kashi in bhang binge|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/mathura-beats-shivas-kashi-in-bhang-binge/articleshow/51435685.cms|access-date=2021-06-23|website=The Times of India|language=en|archive-date=27 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627014832/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/mathura-beats-shivas-kashi-in-bhang-binge/articleshow/51435685.cms|url-status=live}} Here, the practice is believed to have been introduced by the followers of Shiva and has stayed ever since.{{Cite news |date=Mar 20, 2024 |title=Holi 2024: Why people consume Bhang on Holi, a look at the tradition |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/festivals/apara-ekadashi-2024-how-to-celebrate-the-auspicious-day-rituals-shubh-muhurat-101717315916045.html |work=Hindustan Times}} They begin the preparation by Sanskrit chants and recitation of prayers.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} In Mathura, some people take bhang to work up their appetite while others do it to de-stress.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} But the hub of bhang use is Varanasi, where the bhang is prepared on its famous ghats.{{Cite web|date=2020-02-19|title=Did you know 'bhang' is served as prasad in Varanasi on Maha Shivratri?|url=https://zeenews.india.com/culture/did-you-know-bhang-is-served-as-prasad-in-varanasi-on-maha-shivratri-2264972.html|access-date=2021-06-22|website=Zee News|language=en|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205907/https://zeenews.india.com/culture/did-you-know-bhang-is-served-as-prasad-in-varanasi-on-maha-shivratri-2264972.html|url-status=live}}

Bhang is also available as bhang goli which is just freshly ground cannabis with water.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} Apart from this, sweetened bhang golis are also widely available; these are not considered a drug, but a traditional sleeping aid and appetizer.{{By whom|date=March 2024}} Bhang goli has metabolizing effects after approximately two hours, sending a user into a dreamlike meditational state. Bhang is also part of many{{Which|date=March 2024}} Ayurvedic medicinal preparations. Bhang powder is available legally at ayurvedic dispensaries.

Legality

File:Bhang shop in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India on November 15, 2008.jpg, Rajasthan, India]]

The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was the first ever international treaty to have included cannabis (or marijuana) with other drugs and imposed a blanket ban on their production and supply except for medicinal and research purposes.{{cite news|title=Recreational use of marijuana: Of highs and laws|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Recreational-use-of-marijuana-Of-highs-and-laws/articleshow/17165524.cms|website=The Times of India|date=10 November 2012 |access-date=1 March 2018|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801000513/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Recreational-use-of-marijuana-Of-highs-and-laws/articleshow/17165524.cms|url-status=live}} However, the Single Convention's definition of 'cannabis' does not include the leaves of the cannabis plant, thereby preserving the legality of bhang culture in India.{{Cite journal |last1=Boister |first1=Neil |last2=Jelsma |first2=Martin |date=2018 |title=Inter se modification of the UN drug control conventions: An exploration of its applicability to legitimise the legal regulation of cannabis markets |url=https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/101255 |journal=International Community Law Review |language=English |volume=20 |pages=472 |doi=10.1163/18719732-12341385 |hdl=10092/101255 |s2cid=150161293 |issn=1388-9036 |access-date=25 April 2021 |archive-date=25 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425040408/https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/101255 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}

Regardless, as bhang has a significant role in India's culture and spiritual practices, it is unlikely that a complete criminalization of cannabis throughout the country would succeed.{{POV statement|date=March 2024}} Important festivals such as Holi and Maha Shivratri have traditionally seen people consume bhang during various local festivities. The cultivation of cannabis is regulated by the government.{{Cite web|url = https://cannabisindustryjournal.com/feature_article/indias-cannabis-market-examining-regulatory-frameworks-then-now/|title = India's Cannabis Market: Examining Regulatory Frameworks then & Now|date = 5 March 2020|access-date = 21 November 2020|archive-date = 29 November 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201129011503/https://cannabisindustryjournal.com/feature_article/indias-cannabis-market-examining-regulatory-frameworks-then-now/|url-status = live}}

= India =

According to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985:

"cannabis (hemp)" means-

(a) charas, that is, the separated resin, in whatever form, whether crude or purified, obtained from the cannabis plant and also includes concentrated preparation and resin known as hashish oil or liquid hashish;

(b) ganja, that is, the flowering or fruiting tops of the cannabis plant (excluding the seeds and leaves when not accompanied by the tops), by whatever name they may be known or designated; and

(c) any mixture, with or without any neutral material, of any of the above forms of cannabis or any drink prepared therefrom.

As bhang is prepared from the seeds and the leaves of the cannabis plant, it is not banned under the NDPS Act of 1985. However, some states do regulate and ban the sale and consumption of bhang. Bhang can also be used in the form of medicine if the patient has a prescription from an Ayurvedic practitioner.{{Cite journal|title=Bhang or Marijuana is Legal in Ayurvedic Prescription|url=https://ijcp.in/Admin/CMS/PDF/18.%20RTI_2_IJCP_Nov2019.pdf|journal=Indian Journal of Clinical Practice|access-date=22 June 2021|archive-date=29 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029080350/https://ijcp.in/Admin/CMS/PDF/18.%20RTI_2_IJCP_Nov2019.pdf|url-status=dead}}

In states where the sale of bhang is legal, bhang golis or golas are sold openly at places like paan shops, with little to no regulation, at low prices.{{Cite web|title=What Is Bhang? Health Benefits and Safety|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/heres-the-deal-with-bhang-gola/|access-date=2021-06-23|website=vice.com|date=17 July 2018 |language=en|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226075004/https://www.vice.com/en/article/ywkdem/heres-the-deal-with-bhang-gola|url-status=live}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20080420135955/http://www.indiacurry.com/faqterms/whatbhang.htm Bhang Ganja Charas, Thandai Chai Lassi], IndiaCurry.com (archived 20 April 2008)
[https://web.archive.org/web/20051120015054/http://www.scism.sbu.ac.uk/cios/paul/Interests/bhang.html "A Bit about Bhang"] (archived 20 November 2005)
[http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/essay_bhang.html "A Word from the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission"] A 19th century British report on Bhang

Category:Cannabis culture

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