A contraband ‘trip’ from India to around the world - Mumbai - DNA

A contraband ‘trip’ from India to around the world - Mumbai - DNA: "“To tell the story of Coleridge without opium is to tell the story of Hamlet without mentioning the ghost,” wrote a critic. Obviously, he was not the only one among the great creative spirits to experience wild flights of fancy under influence. Early men discovered the strange properties of certain plants quite early and sought to give intoxication some legitimacy by associating it with religion. Bhang and ganja have been a part of Indian religious tradition for long. Social consumption was just the natural extension. But what was limited to a select few and to select occasions has broken free of confinement.
The democratisation of the use of drugs has spawned a roaring business enterprise. The trip contraband makes is a complex operation now, involving consumers, suppliers and the supply chain. With drug preferences and the consumer base changing, the business has been in transition.
But Mumbai, with its peculiar connect to all parts of the country, courtesy its vast migrant population, and significant user base, has remained a constant in the drugs map. It also remains a major transshipment point for traditional drugs by virtue of its accessibility by sea and illegal marine routes. But before zeroing in on Mumbai, it is pertinent to have an overview of the drugs scene in the country."