Hash oil demand rises in Hyderabad amid ganja crackdown

Hash oil is increasingly finding demand among drug users in Hyderabad as enforcement agencies crack down on conventional ganja. Police say drug syndicates are turning to the concentrated cannabis derivative, with several persons recently arrested for allegedly trading it

Hyderabad: Hash oil, one of the costlier and more potent derivatives of cannabis and different from hashish, is increasingly finding demand among drug users in Hyderabad, with the crackdown by law enforcement agencies on conventional ganja prompting drug peddlers to explore newer forms of the contraband.

The oil is a concentrated cannabis extract made from cannabis plant material. It contains a high concentration of cannabinoids, particularly delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and is produced by separating the resin and other compounds from the plant material using extraction processes.

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Unlike dry ganja, which is typically smoked in rolled cigarettes, hash oil is a sticky or viscous substance that can be consumed in different ways, including smoking or vaping. Because it is highly concentrated, even a small quantity can contain considerably more THC than an equivalent amount of ordinary cannabis.

Police officials said gangs operating in the agency areas of Andhra Pradesh are increasingly involved in producing hash oil. “Hash oil is easy to conceal and transport compared to dry ganja. After suffering losses due to the crackdown on marijuana, the syndicates are changing the way they do business,” an official of the Prohibition and Excise Department said.

The oil is sold to a network of smugglers who transport it to different parts of the country. Local peddlers then pack it in small containers of 5 ml and 10 ml and sell it to consumers. “Compared to dry marijuana, hash oil is costlier. A 5 ml bottle of hash oil is sold at a price ranging from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,500,” said an EAGLE Force official.

Most consumers of hash oil are college-going students and young professionals, police officials said. “For the sake of profit, youngsters are sourcing it from some places and selling it to colleagues. Many of those involved in selling it were arrested in recent days,” another official explained.

In recent days, the EAGLE Force, police in the Hyderabad, Malkajgiri and Cyberabad commissionerates, and special teams of the Prohibition and Excise Department have arrested several persons allegedly involved in trading hash oil.

In the latest case, six persons, including an IT employee and two 17-year-old boys, were apprehended for allegedly transporting hash oil. Police seized 12 kg of the contraband, estimated to be worth Rs 1.5 crore. The organisers had allegedly recruited unemployed tribal youth from neighbouring villages by offering them money to transport the contraband from Andhra Pradesh to Bengaluru via Hyderabad.