The post Nepal Cannabis Crackdown Targets Temple Hashish appeared first on High Times.
A Crackdown on Cannabis
Over the past six months, nearly 280 people have been arrested and 115 criminally charged in police raids on the city’s Pashupatinath Temple complex, a UN World Heritage Site that is annually visited by thousands of Hindu pilgrims from Nepal and India alike.
“We have sent some of the drug users to rehabilitation centers. There were 20 children and 18 women among those arrested,” boasted Anup Shrestha, deputy superintendent of police in Kathmandu, to DPA news agency. Especially disconcertingly, he said three holy men (sadhus) were among those arrested.
Shrestha said the crackdown began in September after authorities received complaints about the widespread use and sale of hashish inside the temple complex.
Thousands of pilgrims converge on the temple for the Hindu festival of Shivaratri, which falls on Feb. 13 this year. This honors Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction—for whom hashish is a traditional sacrament. Generally, only the sadhus—itinerant spiritual seekers held in high regard even by many conservative Hindus—have been allowed to partake in temple hashish for the festival. Other pilgrims merely have their foreheads dabbed with the ash. But now authorities say the general public has also been taking the opportunity to imbibe.
Authorities in both Nepal and India are making a great effort to suppress the traditional economy revolving