Smoking pot in India?

rachelandmike

I'm quite partial to smoking a joint or two (or three... ) here at home, just wondering what is the local's view on tourists smoking pot in India? Is it 'not the done thing', or can we toke away without offending people? How easy is it to get pot? I've heard about bhang lassis but would rather a good old smoke myself. Of course I wont indulge if it's not appropriate, any advice would be appreciated. No preaching please
Cheers,
Rachel

IndyBoy

I'd say the situation is much the same as back home in the UK. Be discreet - i.e. don't spark up in the street. My friends would always carry some chunky cash as well if they were smoking, so that if caught, a bribe could be produced quickly.
Easy to buy - yes. Just ask the nearest Israeli!

hash666

its cool to smoke but it has to be a little bit discreet ...and not like smokin everywhere on the road...and if u get caught by cops they wud appreciate anythin above a hundred rs to a 1000 rs to let u off...

why drink and die when u can smoke and fly.......

seeker

From what I hear, it is fairly easy to find and as long as you are discreet, it should be OK. There are certain Hindu sadhus in some sects who smoke charas and ganja as a part of their religion.

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dreamsyndicate

Just a small detail :
minimum sentence is 10 years jail .
So, discretion (not paranoia) might be the word here, a 1000 Rs when caught, would be a real bargain, hence the sentence .

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Cat Brain

I admit, this was something my friend and I were interested in knowing ourselves, and it's good to get a heads up on how much of a bribe works if we're unfortunate enough to get caught...I'm somewhat curious about gov't approved bhang lassi shops, I hear of them being in Varanasi but are there others, say around Rajasthan? Our trip is becoming slightly more nebulous as to where we're going when as we want to make sure we spend enough time with our friend's family in Kerala, but we do plan to make it up north to Delhi and such...

good idea, sitting duck for bribery, or weak compared to non-gov't approved shops?...

wonderwomanusa

Be careful of those bhang lassis; sometimes they have datura in them which can give you days and days of hallucinations.

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-m2-

Goa has long been associated with a free and easy attitude towards soft drugs and in the past it certainly was true enough. I can't speak for what is 'cool' and 'not cool' in the rest of India, but I've spent several months in Goa for 6 of the past 10 winters, and during one of which I attended the weekly sessions of the court dealing with drug cases for North Goa in Mapusa following the trial of a friend. I think it is time for the story behind the picture in my personal gallery labeled 'Goan Farewell'. I've put a smaller version in this post.
http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/s...cat=500&page=2

First I would like to dispel the notion that you can always get out of a tight situation with a modest bribe. NOT TRUE Usually, perhaps, but not always.

There are both state and national laws regarding drugs and enforcement varies from place to place. Police *PAY* to get posted to Goa -- sometimes a bribe exceeding the annual salary of the job. Being assigned to the 'narcotics cell' is extremely lucrative due to baksheesh opportunities. The reason tourists are *overjoyed* to pay several hundred $US to avoid arrest is that once the paperwork is underway, you are screwed. It is no longer a couple of officers on the make -- you are dealing with higher-ups, lawyers, influence peddlers and judges and the opportunities to escape the 10 year minimum jail term becomes more expensive and less likely. In order to make certain that everyone understands the need to pay, a certain number of cases each tourist season go through the whole proceedure as object lessons. My Dutch friend was one of those, and I witnessed the trials of another 10 or so, only a few of which were guilty of more than posession and/or stupidity.

1. The police have a whole bunch of petty thiefs/dealers who will sign completely fabricated 'witness' reports to ease their own cases.

2. The police assigned to the 'drug cell' rotate through it fairly quickly as some that are too greedy get re-assigned for a while. The new bunch show their enthusiasm and bolster their records by getting a few early convictions, and then can operate more freely for the rest of their appointment collecting bribes.

3. The 'judge' accepts police evidence and documentation as fact and does not believe any witnesses to the contrary for, as a lawyer told me, 'the judges believe everyone will lie to support a friend'. Challenges to things like incorrect dates, missing prosecution witnesses, cross-examination etc., do not take place in the first 'sessions' trial. My friends lawyer assured us that if found guilty then technicalities can be brought up in the appeals court and a dubious case will be thrown out. It should be noted that bail is not permitted in drug cases and the appeal will probably not be scheduled for 1-2 years.

4. While the trial is in progress, the accused is housed in a remand lock-up in Panjim with petty criminals and the dregs of society in a crowded, bare floor lock up dependent upon friends and relatives for food, a mat and blanket to sleep with and with very limited visitation rights. My friend was moved to Fort Aguada after a couple of months where he found it much better to be amongst murderers and other foreigners who, failing to have the family and resources to work an appeal, were doing the whole 10 years. My friend found these people a bit more honorable and easier to live with. Many of the murders were 'crimes of passion' and the like by more 'regular' folk rather than hardened criminals.

5. During the lengthy the trial, one can expect mysterious phone calls from people claiming that they have influence with the court and for a few K$ can get the charge reduced to one with a 6month maximum (the penalty if you were caught with less than 35gms and claim to be an addict and are willing to go into rehab). Lawyers advised that this was probably just an opportunity to throw money down the crapper.

6. Many lawyers specialize in assisting tourists in drug cases. It is a lucrative local industry; expect to pay thousands in retainer and more when you go to the appeals court to end the ordeal.

7. In the case of my friend; arrest in November, sessions trial ended after I left Goa in March. In August, I learned that he had been convicted and sentenced to 10 years 'Rigorous Imprisonment'. I didn't return to Goa the following winter, but learned the appeal was successful and after something like 500 days total, my friend was a free man again.


OK, so what happened, and who were some of the others I met going through the mill.

My friend was a regular winter resident of Arambol, along with his wife (they were in their early 40's) renting a nice beach-facing bungalow for the winter. The drug cell officers in plain clothes, acting on a tip from an informer, were attempting a raid and were directed by their informant, who was hiding at some distance, to the wrong house. They burst into my friend's place like thieves and he threw a punch at one of what turned out to be officers. Of course they got snarky, stole everything that glittered and planted 50 or so grams of hash. Stupid, of course, but early morning groggy. When I learned of it an hour later, I quickly rounded up $1000 cash and headed down to the station to offer to pay a 'fine' and to assure the police that we would have my friend on a plane out of the country within a day. No dice, see above.

The others: 1. An English guy on a 2 week charter trip with his fiance who, thinking Goa really cool, was caught by the squad rolling up a spliff at the Anjuna flea market. (he was going for the 6 month 'addict' charge)

2. A South African guy with his English friend -- probably guilty as they had a pound of hash in their house and probably dealing. 10 years

3. A goofy Portugese guy, also caught at the flea market, smoking and a good sized personal stash -- no money for a lawyer, probably still rotting in Ft. Aguada.

4. An Israeli caught with hash, opium, and X -- 30 years, 10 for each drug. Probably off on appeal by now.

5. In Aguada there were several foreigners in for the 10 years, including an American who had been in for 5 or 6 years and appeared to be dying.

Enough -- yes you have to be indiscrete, stupid, or just have bad luck for this to happen to you but *the consequences are such that you have to consider whether it is worth it or not to smoke in Goa* For me, I say NO. I stay in a place that doesn't permit drugs and I avoid restaurants where people smoke -- smoking, and even growing a small amount, is no big deal in BC where I live and there is no way I will risk screwing up what's left of my life in the haywire lottery situation that even occasional pot smoking can lead to in Goa.

so here's a smaller version of 'Goan Farewell'

Attached Thumbnails

 

Samsara

I would be extremely careful - it seems the police are really cracking down and lots of foreigners are in jail for drug offences...It doesn't matter if you are a Westerner nowadays they are still going to get you and it doesn't matter if you have influential friends or not to help...

I personally would not risk it or go anywhere near anyone doing drugs in India.

The legal (?) bhang lassi shops in Rajasthan, I don't know much about them, but they seem to be O.K. due to religious reasons (usually the same family have been involved in this business for generations to provide for ceremonial occasions) but I don't know much about it really.

Why bother, is what I say, save it for home, where you aren't going to risk gambling your life away (Indian jails are the pits, the police, judges, everybody are corrupt...).

suginami

I think the deal is that more and more in those parts of the world where smoking was ok so long as you were discrete tourism has taken over and with it nasty locals and police. They were always there of course but it just means that for this kind of enjoyment you have to go further afield. Maybe it's just not worth anymore.

rab

-m2- is right. You are strongly advised not to smoke drugs in India - try the wondertful city of Amsterdam intead!

I have not smoked in India but tried bhang lassi in Pushkar and that was ok, quite a mild effect, a bit weird and trippy.

As for smoking, if you choose to smoke, be very discreet, for your own sake and for the reputation of other travellers too.

rishi

well locals don't care a damn what you're smoking...it's just the cops that can create a scene so lemme repeat what's said already--->Be Discreet!

Cops would be keeping a close eye on foreigners like you. If ever get caught...pay 100-1000 (depending upon your bargaining power ;-) Yes!) and go scot free.... Remember, never get hauled up in jail for any offence ever!!

I know people who grow grass in their home gardens...neighbors never complain! ;-) And the pot scene is very much kickin and alive in student dorms and specified places in most cities in north india...dunno much about south though...

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rachelandmike

Sounds like smoking pot in India is too risky. No big deal, I'm sure India will be a wild ride even when sober! Having said that... I am interested in the whole bhang lassi thing. People talk about government controlled shops which sell 'safe' or 'controlled' bhang lassis. Can anyone tell me exactly where some of these shops are? Are they signposted? I'm a strictly pot-only girl and am not at all keen to have a three day trip on datura or anything else. I'd love some advice on recommended bhang lassi shops - I'll be travelling mostly in the North - also Delhi of course.
Cheers,
Rachel

suginami

I suppose it is in the interests of local gove
rnments in India and the police to keep pot illegal to keep the holy rollers in the US happy and to line their pockets when need be. Nepal is still much simpler and easier just DO NO carry when you are taking internal flights as they do thorough searches.

-m2-

However the draconian law ever got on the books, the probable intension was to discourage and punish drug profiteers, not casual pot smokers. However, the effect of the law in a high-tourist area like Goa is that it gives police a huge club with which to extract money from hapless vacationers doing what is both normal behavior at home and (from what they have seen and heard) is apparently OK in Goa. Most people don't stay long enough in a place to see what is going on -- the local police might only go out 'freelancing' once or twice a month, and the official drug unit (acting on tips and informers) even less. The 'victims' move on and little is said. People continue to very visibly smoke in restaurants or more discretely while watching the night sky at the beach; and a few of them will continue to be 'picked off'.

Soft drug use is not that big a deal to local people many of whom are supplying food, accommodation and other services to low-budget tourists, so their harassment by police is disliked as 'bad for business'. It is like you mentioned earlier, suginami, as tourism becomes a major factor in an area where there was a historically an easy attitude towards cannibis (mexico and thailand come to mind) it has created vast opportunities for money-making in both the supplying and the penalizing of it's use by relatively well-heeled tourists.