Weed is Consuming the Youth of Dehradun

Weed is Consuming the Youth of Dehradun

One chaotic evening, I was going past a secluded street in Patel Nagar, Dehradun. Out of nowhere, an unusual whiff floated about my olfactory sense. And at once several thoughts occurred to me. And one of them was: “Someone is smoking weed”. A person, who knows how burning weed smells, can detect the smoke of weed in the vicinity with ease. Therefore, beware of the place where you smoke. And yes, an under-construction house in a demarcated land isn’t a safe place. However, no stoner ever got hurt at an incomplete building.

Weed has become a common term amongst youth in Dehradun. Some weed aficionados of Doon valley say, “Youth, especially college students, wants to be cool, be it from the 1950s or the 2020s. And bad is cool. As a result, if you casually drop weed in a conversation, it can make you cooler by 20%.” I’m not sure about the legitimacy of the said statement. But I’ve seen so-called aficionados. After smoking some weed, they go live on Instagram and bleat, “Why did she leave me?”

an ultra slim joint and some ganja

Weed isn’t a standard term; it’s a slang word like grass, maal, samaan, mary jane, and so on. These terms are often used for charas, hashish, ganja, or bhang. In Dehradun, cannabis, hemp, or marijuana is known as bhang. However, hashish is youth’s preferred term. Charas or hashish, a psychoactive drug, is obtained from cannabis plants through a specific method. The recreational drug is often used by youngsters to get high and feel relaxed. Its consumption alters the state of mind and gives a false perception of reality. After consuming it, people can’t keep track of time, their bodies become lethargic, and their speeches slow down. They feel euphoric and hungry afterwards. These after-effects of bhang make them consume it time and again. Thus, it can be inferred that it’s an addictive substance. You might have come across the word Joint in the past. Simply put, a joint is a hand-rolled cigarette filled with charas or ganja and smokable tobacco. You need rolling paper, some crushed charas/ganja, some tobacco, and a roach to make an ordinary joint.

Since that chaotic evening, I’ve gone through many deserted streets in Dehradun, and I’ve come across many groups of youngsters furtively smoking joints in abandoned and under-construction buildings. The sight of youth smoking joints is now common in Dehradun. Thus, I don’t get surprised if I happen to see brats puffing out dense smoke in a building under construction. In Dehradun, charas is in trend nowadays. However, youth doesn’t give a damn about law and order. Possession and consumption of cannabis are illegal. If someone is caught smoking or possessing cannabis, they can be put behind the bars. My conscience doesn’t allow me to look over these sights. Sometimes, I contemplate where our youth is heading and the answer to this question really scares me. I wonder what will happen if smoking joints are normalised. People won’t react if a young boy or girl casually smokes a joint in a street.

Usually, the journey to become an addict starts with a cigarette that a friend suggests to smoke out of curiosity. Addicts aren’t different from us; they are just like us. However, the only difference is that they choose to do one bad thing over and over again. Saying “yes” to offers to consume drugs will change your future. If you keep on saying “yes” every time, then soon you will become addicted to drugs. And the story doesn’t end here as it’s a beginning to become a drug addict and hence incorrigible.

Stop now. Otherwise, you won’t be able to restrain yourself in future. Drop the joint right away and crush it under your shoes. Walk away to live a better life. Ah! Whom I’m saying this to. Just roll and smoke. Jala lo chaati apni. Bye!

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