‘Drug’ use: The misunderstood herb

Cannabis users on why they get high, and why they feel banning it is a bridge too far

ISLAMABAD: We read about people going blind or dying from alcohol, prescription drugs, opiods such as heroin, and other laboratory drugs like methamphetamine, but how many people have you heard of who died from hashish? None. They just laugh a little too much and take a nap.

This was said by Sherbaz, 30, who works at a management position for a multinational company and has been smoking hashish since he was in high school. The Express Tribune had asked him why he feels cannabis should be decriminalised.

Hashish is a compressed form of cannabis, and users of either substance seem to prefer it due to its easier portability and “better high”. Colloquially, hashish is called charas, ganja or garda, while cannabis is called bhang.

He went on to say that most hashish users use it to calm their nerves after a long day at work or other stressful environments, and it is very hard to actually develop an addiction.

His friend, asking not to be named, said he quit smoking hashish when he quit smoking cigarettes, but had no objection to the herb. “Tobacco gives a nominal buzz and can kill you. Hash is relaxing and harmless, except the smoke. I’m still willing to eat or drink things which have bhang or hash in them.

Another person who was with them said she works as a doctor and smokes sometimes as stress relief after a long or difficult day. She said “controlled use” is harmless. People who adamantly oppose hash should be reminded that sugar is a lot more addictive and lethal, quoting studies that say the addiction is similar to heroin or cocaine and ailments such as diabetes and heart disease, “but no one speaks of banning gulab jamun.”

Their source is a man going by the nickname ‘Kala’, who deals hashish in Islamabad. Kala said his clientele was “mostly upper class” because he ensured quality, adding that he did not serve “youngsters” and had told off clients who referred teenagers to him. He said it would be good for the youth if his wares were legalised or at least decriminalised.

“Today people treat everything as the same. They see no difference between heroin, opium, alcohol or hashish. If the government took a soft approach to hashish, which is not a very bad thing, I’m sure fewer people would indulge in other worse habits”.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2016.