In India, cannabis grows wild and rampant throughout the Himalayan foothills, creating the ideal conditions for the starting material of charas.
Even though cannabis itself is illegal in the country, several other forms of cannabis are still consumed legally to this day.
Charas, along with cannabis-infused beverage Bhang, are a couple of those legal options heavily tied to Indian culture and religion.
In fact, Charas and Bhang are consumed freely by those who deem it part of their religion.
So, what are these things and why are they legal in India when cannabis itself isn’t? To find out more, keep on reading.
What is Charas?
Charas is a form of cannabis concentrate that is akin to hashish. Charas is created using the resin of female cannabis plants and is typically handmade in regions like India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
Similar to the extraction process of all other types of cannabis concentrates, Charas is also made by extracting the trichomes of the cannabis plant.
However, what separates Charas from most other types of cannabis concentrates is the fact that Charas uses the resin from live cannabis plants, where most other concentrates are made using dried cannabis.
Typically, Charas is hand-rolled through a lengthy and involved process that can take hours to complete. However, the end result is an artisanal quality concentrate that is potent and concentrated with terpenes.
In India, Charas is sold at government-sanctioned stores and stands in the form of balls on a stick. Traditionally, Charas is smoked with a chillum.
Charas and Indian Culture
Similar to Bhang, Charas is intrinsic to India’s culture and religion.
One of the prominent gods of the Hindu religion, Lord Shiva, is heavily associated with cannabis. Shiva is also known as Lord of Bhang.
According to the Hindu religion, cannabis is one of the five most sacred plants. Lord Shiva held it in incredibly high regard for its ability to help him reach inner peace and balance within himself.
During the Hindu festivals of Holi and Maha Shivratri, Shaivas, the followers that worship Lord Shiva, smoke Charas and drink Bhang at their leisure.
This custom is considered part of their religious practices.
Cannabis is so deeply seeded in Indian culture and history that one of the first-ever mentions of cannabis was found in The Vedas, or sacred Hindu texts, dating back as early as 2000 to 1400 B.C.
In these texts, cannabis is named one of the five sacred plants gifted to humanity as a source for joy and happiness and a release from anxiety.
Where does Charas Come From?
Today, Charas is available in almost every region of India. However, its earliest documented production has been traced back only to a few places, including the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains.
In this particular region, wild cannabis flourishes freely and is a particular location of interest for strain hunters, cultivators and cannabis enthusiasts.
One of the more famous regions in the area, the Parvati Valley, is known for its distinctive variant of high THC Charas known as Malana Cream. The region is also known for incredibly rare strains like Idukki Gold and Kerala Gold.
How to Make Charas
Making Charas is actually a relatively easy process.
However, it does tend to be lengthy and can get messy at times. To make Charas, you’ll be using your hands to rub the buds of cannabis together.
In other words, they will get sticky, so be warned.
Instructions
- Pick a handful of cannabis flowers from a female plant that is nearing maturity. Traditional Charas is made with cannabis flowers and buds of plants that are 2-3 weeks from reaching full maturity.
- Begin trimming off any excess foliage surrounding the cannabis buds. Do not trim all of the stems off. Leave a portion on.
- With your buds trimmed, place them in between your palms and begin gently rubbing them together. As you agitate the buds more and more, the THC and resin will be released. Increase the intensity and speed of your hand motions as you extract more resin from the buds.
- The resin will take the form of a black tar-like substance, do not stop rubbing the buds until it stops secreting oil. Once all of the oil has been extracted from the buds, roll the resin on the palms of your hands into a ball and place it in a container or on a stick.
- Rinse and repeat this process until you have used all the cannabis you have picked or made enough Charas.
How to Smoke Charas
Traditionally, Charas was smoked through weed pipes such as chillum.
Today, you have the option to either smoke Charas traditionally in a chillum or to roll it into a thin snake-like form and roll into a joint alongside some dry herb. This hybrid joint is called a twax joint.
Using a chillum, simply place the ball of Charas into the spherical hole and light it up.
Alternatively, if you’re a fan of tobacco, you can also roll some Charas into a blunt for a longer-lasting, smoother burn. Blunts double as longer-lasting joints with a tobacco wrap, giving the user a slight headrush. They are particularly great for groups.
If smoking isn’t your thing, you also have the option to vaporize your Charas using a dab rig. To consume your Charas with a dab rig, simply treat it similar to any other cannabis concentrate, and you should be fine.
When enjoying Charas, it is essential to consider that it is a cannabis concentrate with a much higher THC concentration than raw cannabis flower.
If it’s your first time trying out Charas, start low and go slow.
Can You Eat it?
Even though Charas may look edible and soft to the touch, the cannabinoids inside it have not yet been decarboxylated, meaning it hasn’t been exposed to the appropriate heat to ‘activate’ the THC.
So, it will not get you nearly as high as smoking it.
For that reason, it is advised not to eat Charas and to smoke or vaporize it instead.
Where To Buy Charas
Fortunately for those of us in Canada, Charas can be found at some dispensaries.
So, if you’re not in the mood to make Charas on your own, you always have the option to pop in-store to buy them outright.
Alternatively, mail-order marijuana websites where you can buy weed online will most likely contain a stock that can be purchased and delivered.
Modern Alternatives to Charas
While Charas is seeped in traditional and cultural significance and played a crucial part in developing future cannabis concentrates, it may be a bit too old school for some tokers.
It’s all good! Everything comes down to personal preference.
If you’re looking for a product with a similar makeup but with a modern twist, rosin is the way to go. Both are solventless extracts. However, rosin has the added benefit of having a more sanitary creation process compared to traditionally hand-rolled Charas.
Creating rosin also entails using dried cannabis buds.
Similar to Charas, rosin uses only heat and pressure to manufacture. It is made by pressing and heating cannabis buds until all the oil and other compounds are extracted and collected. Since it doesn’t use solvents, it preserves the flavour and aroma of the original bud.
What remains is a potent and arguably better product that doesn’t bring about concerns of where the creator’s hands have been or what they may have touched before rolling something like Charas.
Additionally, if traditional cannabis products, such as Charas and Bhang, pique your interest because of their historical significance, but you’re not looking to experience the psychoactive effects, hemp milk poses an excellent opportunity to reap the healing benefits of cannabis without getting high.
Charas – A Historical Extract
Cannabis has been used for thousands of years by the people in the subcontinent of India.
Charas, also popularly known as the black gold of the Himalayas, is a popular cannabis concentrate that has deep roots in Indian culture and religion.
While cannabis remains an illegal substance in the country, there are some exceptions for Charas and Bhang when it comes to special Hindu celebrations and festivals.
Charas is an excellent example of the significance and culturally rich history and heritage of cannabis and cannabis products, including concentrates, and how they have influenced the origination and evolution of one another.
With innovation like this, who knows what the future holds!
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