Weed culture in India

The major culture here is about chillums. every ‘circle’ has its own rules, either you always pass clockwise or anti-clockwise.

Starting of the chillum is only given to someone who can light up the entire thing, at which time everyone says ‘bum bum’, ‘jai Shree Mahakaal’ or ‘Hari Om’. 

If you pass the chillum with the last puff, then you have to clean it after the last puff. Usually the cleaning responsibility is shared between the last two people who smoked. 

You never, ever pass an empty chillum. 

When smoking green, it is taken for granted that the maal is going to be dipped, soaked or spiked, so it is mandatory to clean. This is done by giving ‘Chita’, that is pouring 4-5 drops of water on the weed after cleaning and then squeezing the mix (this is before adding tobacco). You are supposed to let the water run off your palms, so everyone can see how red/black it is, and appreciate your cleaning efforts, and know that you are making love (mohobbat) and not poison (zeher). 

After giving Chita, you can mix the tobacco. The water also ensures that the weed burns slowly and produces delicious, heavy, oily smoke. Then the chillum is never lit with a lighter. You always have to light it with a matchstick, usually two. Some stagger the matches in such a way that the second one catches fire mid ‘sar’, or the starting of the chillum. The preferred way of lighting the chillum though, is using coconut hair! 

So that’s cleaning, starting, passing and ending covered. Oh yeah, it is always good etiquette to carry some safi, that is cotton bandage, but strips of cotton cloth are better. Anyone who carries safi is always respected. Tear generous amounts of safi, enough to comfortably clean chillum, which is done by passing safi through chillum and then rubbing the chillum. If you are sick, get your own safi, swap out the group safi for yours when the chillum comes to you, then swap it out again before passing. 

For Shiv Bhakts, the preferred location to smoke up is at graveyards, it has the advantage of keeping most people away, and is a way to honour and entertain the dead with your memories, songs and jokes. 

It is customary to get sufficient maal for everyone for a session at the start itself. Everyone takes something (matches, tobacco, safi, water etc to a sesh). If people have not gotten enough, then before starting only everyone gives contri or contribution, then people go and score enough for the session. 

Then there is the inversion code. This is a simple code that prevents anyone from understanding what you are talking about if they overhear you, or hear you on phone. So lumchi is chillum, chisma is maachis, llama is maal, and so on. 

Phew I think I got a lot covered, am ready to answer any questions, but this is the weed culture in India, not hiding in bathroom and smoking a j into the exhaust lol!