Grass isn't green anymore in Gujarat

Rarely has a plant polarised opinions about its human consumption, as marijuana (ganja) has. It is legal in Amsterdam, and in some states of USA, but it is labelled as a narcotic all over the world – generating USD 500 billion as revenue from its illegal trafficking.

Gujarat is untouched by the ‘green’ revolution and its derivatives, particularly hashish (charas), but its market in the state has plummeted over the years. A moderate estimate by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Ahmedabad Zonal Unit states that drugs worth Rs50 crore is being sold in Gujarat every year, much lower than five years ago.

Zonal director of NCB, Hari Om Gandhi, says that skyrocketing prices of the drug in the international markets has dented business of the state-based drug dealers and suppliers, who are not able to fish out such huge amounts to acquire drugs from the major nodes spread across the country.

“A few years ago, 1kg hashish cost about Rs10,000 in India. A local dealer would buy 40-50kg from the supplier. Now, the prices are at Rs2.50 lakh,” said Gandhi. “Thus, if a Gujarat dealer has to shell out as much as Rs10 lakh for a 4-kg consignment. This is impossible for the local drug dealer. No major consignment, as a result, has been dumped in the city in the recent past,” he added. 

Hashish in India originates from Kashmir, thus it’s colloquially called ‘kashmiri hashish’. Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) police has come down heavily on the plantations, which in turn has drastically reduced supply to Gujarat. “J&K police have taken stringent steps to curb illegal cultivation of cannabis, from which hashish is derived, in their state. A reduction in supply thus has led to skyrocketing prices,” said Gandhi, who is currently busy in events for ‘International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking’ on June 26.

According to NCB-Ahmedabad figures, cops had seized 168kg of hashish in 2011-12 and had arrested 12 drug peddlers from different parts of the state. The much-cheaper marijuana (or weed), however, forms the bulk of the ‘trade’ here, which is brought to Gujarat from the north-eastern states, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. Hashish is smuggled in from J&K, Rajasthan and Bihar.

“Hashish becomes more expensive as it changes hands. Thus, a local dealer might have to pay almost Rs4 lakh/kg for the consignment,” informed Gandhi.