While the Excise Department has imposed a clampdown on sale of illicit liquor and the Food Safety Department has simultaneously put a scanner on adulterated sweets in the wake of Holi, there is no machinery in place to check any form of adulteration in Bhang — locally-grown hemp consumed during the festival as a part of the festivities.
Officials from the State Narcotics Control Bureau said that hemp does not come under their purview, and the bureau has no right to check the quality of Indian weed sold in the open market during Holi. Narcotics Superintendent Suresh Kumar Singh said that the bureau can only check the sale of listed drugs such as Ibuprofen and Benzodiazepines.
“Hemp or Bhang is not listed as drug, so technically, we cannot check the contents of the product that is sold in the market,” Singh said.
Neither the Food Safety Dept, not the Drug Control Directorate has direct authority over checking the quality of Bhang available in the market, officials said. Jharkhand Drug Controller Ritu Sahay said that it was clear as to which body had the power to monitor the quality of Bhang.
For decades, Bhang has been sold in the markets around India as offerings to deities and consumption on festivals like Holi. Many sweet shops also make Barfis and Pedas with Bhang during Holi. Special drinks called Thandai are available across the market on Holi and are readily consumed. However, having no regulatory body to check the quality of Bhang used in these products puts the wellbeing of several consumers at risk, say psychiatrists who have been campaigning against the consumption of Bhang.
Hemp is a form of Cannabis which has an intoxicating effect on consumers. While moderate consumption may only cause mild stimuli in the brain and cognitive behavior for a few hours, overconsumption of hemp may even lead to psychosis and major mental health ailments, warn psychiatrists. “Psychosis caused by hemp abuse is very common. We get many such patients every year. While Cannabis dependency can precipitate into psychosis, even abuse of the weed for a day or two can lead to mental disorders,” said Dr Nishant Goyal, Assistant Professor at Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Ranchi.
Incidents of Bhang laced with other intoxicants have also been reported in the past in Ranchi. While the practice of consuming Bhang has gradually reduced with awareness, the production and sale of Bhang still continues to be unchecked. Besides, there is no Government agency that has been handed over the responsibility of checking the quality of Bhang and adulterations in it.