India's Charis Country Builds New Jail for Backpackers

Indian authorities in Himachal Pradesh, the North West region renowned for producing most of the world's Charas (high quality cannabis) have been arresting so many foreigners that they've built a new prison, the Telegraph reported this week.

Westerners caught with even small quantities of hash face mandatory 10 year terms with hard labour, the Telegraph said, in a frightening feature about the dangers of visiting the region.

"All these foreigners here are criminals, they are killing each other," a local Kullu Valley journalist told the Telegraph reporters (who were investigating the disappearance of more than 30 Western travellers).

"Charas is a disease of the brain. You can sit all day staring and then fall off a mountain and end up dead or in the hospital. Foreigners bring their habits and their drugs here."


http://www.ibiblio.org/himachal (Tourist guide to Himachal Pradesh)
">http://www.telegraph.co.uk

http://www.tehelka.com/channels/investigations/2000/sept/6/in090600kullu.htm ("Bliss and Death in Cannabis Country")

http://www.ibiblio.org/himachal (Tourist guide to Himachal Pradesh)
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• cannabis
• marijuana