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Kullu's Hash Haven Finally Cracks The Whip On Peddling

Crackdown!
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Hundreds of tourists travel to Malana every year in search of what is supposed to the best hashish produced in the world.

Located in the Parvati Valley in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district, Malana may not remain the so-called stoner's paradise as the gram panchayat plans a fine and ban on contraband come February 25.

A report in The Hindustan Times suggests that the village will fine people smoking or smuggling drugs and a fine of Rs 1 lakh will be imposed on those who are involved in the trading of its world famous hash.

While the government has campaigns each year to destroy cannabis, production and trade has only grown over the years.

Panchayat pradhan Malana Baghi Ram told The Hindustan Times, "The village has its own parliament system comprising Jayeshthang and lower house Kanishthang . The upper house consists of three permanent members and eight temporary members, while the lower house has the eldest member from each family. Both the houses have decided to ban the photography as well as fine persons indulging in narcotic trade."

This comes in the backdrop of cases being registered regularly under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

The Times of India reported the police saying on Monday that hashish from outside is brought in for distribution and is passed off as Malana charas. Nepalese labourers, foreigners and other people from outside this village, the police say, are funding the local trade.

As the police struggle to keep up with this growing narcotics trade, this ban may bring some relief.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.