Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: notesfiles
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!pyramid!pesnta!hplabs!hp-pcd!orstcs!das
From: das@orstcs.UUCP (das)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india
Subject: Re: Drugs (opiates) legal in India ?
Message-ID: <24300078@orstcs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 8-Mar-86 04:56:00 EST
Article-I.D.: orstcs.24300078
Posted: Sat Mar  8 04:56:00 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Mar-86 21:55:38 EST
References: <78@gumby.UUCP>
Organization: Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
Lines: 47
Nf-ID: #R:gumby:-7800:orstcs:24300078:000:2186
Nf-From: orstcs!das    Mar  8 01:56:00 1986


/***** orstcs:net.nlang.indi / gumby!g-kacker / 10:39 am  Mar  6, 1986*/
>Subject: Drugs (opiates) legal in India ?    
>
>>      Does anybody out there know of any countries where the use of opiates
>> and/or other drugs for personal or recreational purposes is legal?
>> 					 John Bashinski
>
>In India there are holy men (people? - I didn't see any women doing this) 

 Oh yes! There are woman too!

>who generally wear saffron colored robes and roam around the country in
>search of enlightenment.  They don't own anything and must beg for their
>food etc.  Some of them use optiates (and maybe other drugs) in the process
>and this is socially accepted.  There are also many westerners or former
>westerners - literally leftover hippies - who have discarded their
>visas and passports to do the same thing (although I would guess their
>rate of enlightenment is somewhat lower).  It is relatively easy to get

Benaras is the place too see all this. It is the holy bathing town of India,
and a must visit for all Hindus.

>drugs there.  I don't know if they are technically illegal, but Indian
>society generally frowns upon drug use among its own people and doesn't
>care much what the others do.  There is one holiday in the winter though,
>(something to do with colors, I forget the name) which includes the use
>of bhang, which I've heard is pretty potent stuff.
 
The festival is Holi, indeed a colourful one, sometimes get's out of hand 
especially in eastern U.P. and Bihar, but still quite enjoyable.

>A few years ago some friends of mine were in Agra.  When they stopped
>for a lassi (a drink made from yogert), one of them got the 'special
>lassi' because it only cost an extra nickel (american).  After some time
>he thought he was getting sun stroke because he was so dizzy.  When he
>went to lie down, the other guy went back to the store to find that the
>special lassi was special because it has bhang in it.  Jim was releived to
>find out it was only drugs.

Bhang during holi is very common, what might cause problems though
is the addition of datura (normally poisonous), this may add to the kick, but
can result in food poisoning.

>-Mark Garrett

das@orstcs