You can now buy Himachal’s hash via Instagram!

Charas sellers are using image sharing platform Instagram to reach out to more customers and increase sales.  Using location tags and hashtags, sellers 'follow' the potential buyers on Instagram. Once the user 'follow' back the seller, they send direct messages with details of their products. 

Disclaimer: At present, all forms of cannabis including charas, ganja, bhang are illegal in India. 

Kasol, Malana, Kullu, Manali are some of the high priority tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh because of its scenic beauty that everyone talks about and also, because of charas about which no one really talks about.

The Kullu-Manali region is known for known for hosting a large number of travellers and backpackers every year has also become a place for innovative business ideas for charas dealers. According to a Hindustan Times report, charas sellers are using image sharing platform Instagram to reach out to more customers and increase sales. 

The sellers are tracking their potential customers using location tags and hashtags on photos shared on the platform. If the location tag shows the places of Himachal Pradesh known for charas trade and hashtags are related to terms used to referring anything related to charas then the seller ‘follow’ the user on Instagram. 

Once the user ‘follow’ back these weed sellers accounts, they send private messages to sell their products. According to the same report, once shows interest the sellers are even willing to send them to the buyer’s doorstep using Speed Post. 

The report further stated that the postal department officials could pack as much as 1 kg of weed in such a way that it goes undetected. The money is transferred through online banking, and the entire deal is done without buyer meeting the seller.