What is a bhang?

And we're not talking about the bong, more commonly known as a water pipe. The bhang actually refers to a certain way of consuming cannabis infused in a drink.

As you know, the cannabis does not have to be smoked. Different parts of cannabis can be used and ingested directly through food, beverages or incorporated into cosmetic creams (the topicals). What about the bhang?

Before getting to the heart of the matter, let's remember that everything starts with the Cannabis plant. The most common way to consume it is to smoke the cannabis flowers, which are called weed, ganja and marie-jeanne, which is both the least healthy way to consume and the least effective (although, granted, the effects can already be powerful).

In terms of potency, hashish comes next, but is really just a solvent-free cannabis extraction. Hash is made from the resin of the plant and retains only the trichomes, which are the glands of the Cannabis plant that produce cannabinoids such as THC or the CBD.

We then come to cannabis oils, which are a concentrate of hash and, if we leave aside solvent extractions, are generally the products with the highest THC content.

The Bhang

Bhang is best known for its consumption during the Holi festival in India. It is also used in religious ceremonies since time immemorial in Hindu lands. Unlike its aforementioned cousins, bhang is a decoction of cannabis flowers and leaves, or of hashish macerated in a kind of lassi.

Indian bhang

For a taste of this drink of the gods, India and the Holi festival are a good place. Although bhang is only sold legally in state-run stores, it's not hard to find some during these celebrations. Beware, however, of the effects, which, in the wrong doses, can be just as devastating as those of bhang. space pizzas from Cambodia.

The Holi festival lasts two days and takes place on different days each year. In 2017, it falls on March 12 and 13.