Description
Context: The Narcotics Control Bureau in Mumbai Wednesday claimed to have seized the contraband ‘Malana Cream’ from a person linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death..
What is Malana Cream?
- It is the charas or hash or hashish which comes from the Malana Valley in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
- Charas, called bhang in Himachal, is the resin obtained from a species or strain of the cannabis plant, which grows naturally in the valley and is also cultivated illegally.
- The valley has a single village, Malana, and the hash resin produced there is generally more ‘creamy’, or clay-like, as compared to that produced in other parts of the state.
What makes it unique?
- The cannabis plant has a number of chemical compounds called cannabinoids, among which tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive constituent which produces the high sensation.
- Strains of the plant with low levels of THC are used for industrial and non-drug purposes such as making ropes, paper, textiles etc.
- Plants with a high level of another cannabinoid called CBD (cannabidiol) are used for medicinal purposes.
- A high proportion of THC in the plant extract is required for recreational drug use and Malana Cream is believed to be particularly rich in THC, making it more potent.
- Resin extracted from the plant, generally by rubbing using hands, is also concentrated further to obtain the more potent hash oil.
- In addition, charas from Malana has a distinct set of turpenes, aromatic compounds associated with flavour and other characteristics. These characteristics are the result of unique climatic conditions of the valley.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-mallana-cream-himachal-pradesh-cannabis-7098907/
