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Jungfrauenregalbass
Can anyone tell me what the laws on smoking Cannabis are if you are a Hindu (or any other religion) in the UK please?
and are there any different laws to drinking the Cannabis flower for Hindu people?

I'm not trying to find ways around the law, I'm writing an assignment and need to know.
Thanks.
SueHM
The law applies to everyone, Hindu or not - it's illegal in the UK, full stop. Maybe some religions condone it - that doesn't change the law of the land.
Jungfrauenregalbass
QUOTE(SueHM @ Apr 5 2009, 04:15 PM) *

The law applies to everyone, Hindu or not - it's illegal in the UK, full stop. Maybe some religions condone it - that doesn't change the law of the land.

thanks
do you know if this law changes in other countries like America?
SueHM
Ditto America
Cadence
It would be interesting to find out about the cannibis flower, because isn't it the leaves and stem and sometimes buds that are used to smoke?

If that is the case, the cannabis flower may not have a narcotic effect and may not be part of the law.

I have no idea, I'm just speculating if you're writing a paper on it - sounds interesting.
nickjones8
QUOTE(Cadence @ Apr 5 2009, 07:21 PM) *

It would be interesting to find out about the cannibis flower, because isn't it the leaves and stem and sometimes buds that are used to smoke?

If that is the case, the cannabis flower may not have a narcotic effect and may not be part of the law.

I have no idea, I'm just speculating if you're writing a paper on it - sounds interesting.


I think you'd need to look very carefully at the law. My guess is that it is the active ingredient - THC - that is the target of the law, so it might depend on whether the flowers contain THC. After all, THC-free hemp is widely and legally available in trousers, shirts, ropes, wallets etc.

Still, this is only my guess.

When you refer to 'Hindus' I guess you're thinking of the availability of bhang (yogurt with cannabis) at some Indian sacred sites (this used to be a government monopoly, might still be)? if so, then since bhang is a narcotic, there would be little point in selling or imbibing it without the narcotic element. Ergo, if it contains only flowers (I have no idea whether it does), then the flowers are narcotic.

However, as far as I know imbibing bhang is not a religious duty, so one would be hard pressed to run that defence. And as I recall, Rastafarians who tried to make a case for smoking dope as a religious duty were given short shrift by the courts!

StuMac
Smoking cannabis is illegal in both India, Nepal (which is a Hindu country) and pakistan although it does go on in all three countries and, in many areas, its use is surprisingly open. The first place I saw cannabis being sold openly was the bus station in Rawalpindi.

Westerners should, however, be very careful. The idea that Hindus approve of cannabis is a nonsense put about by the Hippy generation. The sight of young westerners hanging around getting stoned is grossly offensive to most Nepalis, especially around sacred sites. If their children behaved like that they would be just as appalled as western parents.

However, a male westerner will, almost inevitably, be offered the opportunity to buy hash as they walk through the streets of Kathmandu. You quickly get used to being trailed around by people saying "Change money, buy hashish". The owners of many of the cheaper Nepli guest houses will openly offer you seemingly huge amounts for amzingly low prices. However, you would be well advised to leave this sort of stuff well alone in these places, even if you see locals smoking quite openly.

The police in these many asian countries are underpaid and often not too well disposed to scruffy young westerners (who they still call "hippies"). They often supplement their income by setting up road blocks and extacting "fines" for possesion. If you don't want to pay a bribe then they can very quickly make your life very unpleasant and, particularly in Pakistan or Malaysia, you could end up in much more trouble that you ever imagined posible - up to and including facing the death penalty. I am not joking here - the amount you have to possess to be guilty of trafficking is quite small. If you have any sense at all then do not touch drugs in these places under any circumstances.

As for the flowers - cannabis belongs to the same family as nettles and hops - this group of plants have separate male and female plants, the most active part of the plant is the female flower. Hemp is the fibre isolated from the stems which is used to make ropes etc. Plants used for hemp production have a very low THC content, at least in this country. THC is produced in response to UV light, and so the most potent forms of the plant come from very sunny and mountainous places.

(I speak as a lecturer in Pharmacology and seasoned traveller!)
nickjones8
QUOTE(StuMac @ Apr 6 2009, 10:45 AM) *

Smoking cannabis is illegal in both India, Nepal (which is a Hindu country) and pakistan although it does go on in all three countries and, in many areas, its use is surprisingly open. The first place I saw cannabis being sold openly was the bus station in Rawalpindi.

Westerners should, however, be very careful. The idea that Hindus approve of cannabis is a nonsense put about by the Hippy generation. The sight of young westerners hanging around getting stoned is grossly offensive to most Nepalis, especially around sacred sites. If their children behaved like that they would be just as appalled as western parents.

However, a male westerner will, almost inevitably, be offered the opportunity to buy hash as they walk through the streets of Kathmandu. You quickly get used to being trailed around by people saying "Change money, buy hashish". The owners of many of the cheaper Nepli guest houses will openly offer you seemingly huge amounts for amzingly low prices. However, you would be well advised to leave this sort of stuff well alone in these places, even if you see locals smoking quite openly.

The police in these many asian countries are underpaid and often not too well disposed to scruffy young westerners (who they still call "hippies"). They often supplement their income by setting up road blocks and extacting "fines" for possesion. If you don't want to pay a bribe then they can very quickly make your life very unpleasant and, particularly in Pakistan or Malaysia, you could end up in much more trouble that you ever imagined posible - up to and including facing the death penalty. I am not joking here - the amount you have to possess to be guilty of trafficking is quite small. If you have any sense at all then do not touch drugs in these places under any circumstances.

As for the flowers - cannabis belongs to the same family as nettles and hops - this group of plants have separate male and female plants, the most active part of the plant is the female flower. Hemp is the fibre isolated from the stems which is used to make ropes etc. Plants used for hemp production have a very low THC content, at least in this country. THC is produced in response to UV light, and so the most potent forms of the plant come from very sunny and mountainous places.

(I speak as a lecturer in Pharmacology and seasoned traveller!)


Interesting, thank you. Your advice on smoking cannabis is of course right on the money. And your description of Kathmandu took me back ...
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