View source for Bhang

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{{Short description|Indian edible cannabis preparation}}
[[File:Photo of bhang drinkers, from the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission report, 1893.jpg|thumb|Photo of bhang drinkers, from the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission report, 1893]]
[[File:Bhang (4381292529).jpg|thumb|Bhang]]
[[File:Process of making bhang in Punjab, India.jpg|thumb|right|Process of making bhang in a village in [[Punjab, India]]]]
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'''Bhang''' ([[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]]: ''Bhāṅg'') is an [[Cannabis edible|edible preparation]] made from the leaves of the [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] plant originating in India. ''[[Cannabis sativa]]'' is the scientific name of the plant whose leaves are used for bhang preparation. Bhang is believed to be the least harmful form of cannabis preparation and also shows medicinal use in ancient India. This is because it does not contain the top flowering plant or the resin produced by the cannabis plant.   It was used in food and drink as early as 1000 BCE in [[ancient India]]. Bhang is traditionally distributed during the spring festival of [[Maha Shivaratri]] and [[Holi]]. Bhang is mainly used in bhang shops, which sell the cannabis-infused Indian drinks bhang [[lassi]] and bhang [[thandai]].

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==Western documentation==
[[Garcia de Orta]], a [[History of the Jews in Portugal|Portuguese Jewish]] physician based in [[Goa]], wrote extensively on ''bangue'' in his ''[[Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India]]'' (1563), including its recreational use by [[Bahadur Shah of Gujarat]] and by many Portuguese. He explicitly rejected the notion of the Indian plant that produces ''bangue'' being the same as the European hemp plant (''alcanave'').

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In 1596, a [[Netherlands|Dutchman]], [[Jan Huyghen van Linschoten]], wrote three pages on "Bangue" in a work documenting his journeys in the East. He also mentioned the Egyptian [[hashish]], the Turkish [[boza]], Turkish [[bernavi]] and the Arabic [[bursj]] forms of consumption. Despite the other accounts, the contemporary historian [[Richard Davenport-Hines]] lists the late-17th-century and early-18th-century British adventurer [[Thomas Bowrey]] as the first Westerner to document the use of bhang.

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==Preparation==
[[File:Bhang ki Patti ka Peda.JPG|thumb|[[Peda]] made with bhang leaves]]
Using a [[mortar and pestle]], the leaves of cannabis are ground into a paste which can be added to foods. For a beverage it is mixed with milk and filtered, then often flavored with [[Desmostachya bipinnata|kusha grass]], sugar, fruit, and various spices. In [[Mathura]] it can be found in bhang ''[[thandai]]'' and bhang [[lassi]]. Bhang is also mixed with [[ghee]] and sugar to make a purple [[halva]], and into peppery, chewy little balls called ''goli'' (which means "tablet" or "pill") in Hindi. Another form is ''bhang [[chutney]]'', also called ''bhangeera ki chutney'', a dish served in [[Kumaoni cuisine]] from [[Uttarakhand]]. It is made from grinding cannabis/bhang seeds with mint, tomatoes and different spices.

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==Culture==
[[File:Bhang eaters before two huts (6124556163).jpg|thumb|left|260px|Bhang eaters from India, c. 1790]]

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Bhang is part of the ancient [[Hindu]] tradition and custom in the Indian subcontinent. In some parts of rural India, people attribute various [[medical cannabis|medicinal]] properties to the cannabis plant. If taken in proper quantity, bhang is believed to cure [[fever]], [[dysentery]], and [[sunstroke]], to clear [[phlegm]], aid in [[digestion]], increase [[appetite]], cure [[speech defect|speech imperfections]] and [[lisping]], and give alertness to the body.

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[[Bhang lassi]] is a preparation of powdered green inflorescence with curd and whey put in a village blender (a hand-blending operation is carried out until the butter rises). It is regarded as tasty and refreshing. It is legal in many parts of India and mainly sold during [[Holi]], when [[pakoras]] containing bhang are also sometimes eaten. [[Uttar Pradesh]] has licensed bhang shops, and in many places in India one can buy bhang products and drink bhang lassis. Some states such as [[Bihar]] and [[West Bengal]] also allow the production of bhang. States like [[Rajasthan]] do not allow production of bhang but do allow procurement and sale of bhang from such states where production is legal.

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The tradition of consuming bhang lassi during Holi is particularly common in North India, where Holi itself is celebrated with a fervor unseen elsewhere. Bhang is heavily consumed in [[Mathura]], an ancient town of religious importance to Hindus. Here, the practice is believed to have been introduced by the followers of [[Shiva]] and has stayed ever since. They begin the preparation by [[Sanskrit]] chants and recitation of prayers. In Mathura, some people take bhang to work up their appetite while others do it to de-stress. But the hub of bhang use is [[Varanasi]], where the bhang is prepared on its famous ghats.

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Bhang is also available as bhang goli which is just freshly ground cannabis with water. Apart from this, sweetened bhang golis are also widely available; these are not considered a drug, but a traditional sleeping aid and appetizer. Bhang goli has metabolizing effects after approximately two hours, sending a user into a dreamlike meditational state. Bhang is also part of many [[Ayurvedic]] medicinal preparations. Bhang powder is available legally at ayurvedic dispensaries.

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==Legality==
[[File:Bhang shop in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India on November 15, 2008.jpg|thumb|right|A bhang shop in [[Jaisalmer]], [[Rajasthan, India]]]]
The 1961 [[Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs]] was the first ever international treaty to have included cannabis (or marijuana) with other drugs and imposed a blanket ban on their production and supply except for medicinal and research purposes. However, the Single Convention's definition of 'cannabis' does not include the leaves of the cannabis plant, thereby preserving the legality of bhang culture in India.

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Regardless, as bhang has a significant role in India's culture and spiritual practices, it is unlikely that a complete criminalization of cannabis throughout the country would succeed. Important festivals such as [[Holi]] and [[Maha Shivaratri|Maha Shivratri]] have traditionally seen people consume bhang during various local festivities. The cultivation of cannabis is regulated by the government.

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=== India ===
According to the [[Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985|Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985]]:<blockquote>"[[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] (hemp)" means-

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(a) [[charas]], that is, the separated resin, in whatever form, whether crude or purified, obtained from the cannabis plant and also includes concentrated preparation and resin known as hashish oil or liquid hashish;

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(b) [[ganja]], that is, the flowering or fruiting tops of the cannabis plant (excluding the seeds and leaves when not accompanied by the tops), by whatever name they may be known or designated; and

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(c) any mixture, with or without any neutral material, of any of the above forms of cannabis or any drink prepared therefrom.</blockquote>As bhang is prepared from the seeds and the leaves of the cannabis plant, it is not banned under the NDPS Act of 1985. However, some states do regulate and ban the sale and consumption of bhang. Bhang can also be used in the form of medicine if the patient has a prescription from an [[Ayurveda|Ayurvedic]] practitioner.

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In states where the sale of bhang is legal, bhang ''golis'' or ''golas'' are sold openly at places like [[paan]] shops, with little to no regulation, at low prices.

==See also== <!--T:17-->

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{{Portal|Cannabis|Drink}}

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* [[Bhangmeter#Origin of the name|Bhangmeter]]
* [[Cannabis in India]]
* [[Charas]]
* [[Desi daru]]
* [[List of Indian beverages]]
* [[Majoun]]
* [[Siemieniotka]]
* [[Spiritual use of cannabis]]
* [[Cannabis and Sikhism]]
* [[Bhangi Misl]]


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==External links==
{{Commons category|Bhang}}
{{wiktionary|bhang}}


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[[Category:Cannabis culture]]
[[Category:Cannabis foods]]
[[Category:Cannabis in India]]
[[Category:Desi culture]]
[[Category:Indian drinks]]
[[Category:Pakistani drinks]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradeshi cuisine]]
[[Category:Cannabis and Hinduism]]
[[Category:Cannabis in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Soma (drink)]]
{{二次利用|date=June 2025, at 00:53}}
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