must be done to preserve the folk medicine associated with 
Cannabis, else the onslaught of modern medicine and technol- 
ogy is sure to bury this fascinating heritage. 
In 1973 and in 1976, I spent several months in the northern 
and central Himalayas, visiting towns, villages, hamlets and 
mud-huts to observe the preparation and folk use of Cannabis. 
I interviewed several local people, representing a variety of 
professions and social strata. This area of mountain peaks is 
covered with perpetual snow, ranging up to 29,000 feet or 
more, although my studies did not take me above 15,000 feet. 
Human populations are scattered and small. Cannabis grows 
up to 10,000 feet in a wide variety of microhabitats. The plant 
exhibits great phenotypic plasticity and, as suggested by folk- 
lore and my preliminary studies (Sharma, 1975), possibly cor- 
responding narcotic strengths. Dry conditions of microhabitat 
have generally been considered more conducive to narcotic 
potency. There are areas at different elevations (but with a 
similar humidity range) known to have strongly narcotic Can- 
nabis. 1 visited several of these places known to the local 
people for ‘‘strong’’ Cannabis: the folklore was confirmed by 
users and non-users alike. At certain localities, semi-religious 
gatherings or fairs are arranged, and the use of Cannabis prod- 
ucts is common among the religious mendicants, the so-called 
ascetics, and fakirs. It is important to remember that, with 
some exceptions, the use of Cannabis is confined usually to the 
economically lower strata. Cannabis is not generally accepted 
in the educated society. 
While narcotic use of Cannabis is more prevalent in the 
economically lower groups, its medicinal properties are valued 
throughout the area and in all segments of society. Cough, 
diarrhea, asthma, malaria, excessive bleeding, and high blood 
pressure are some of the ills for which preparations of Can- 
nabis have been used in the past in the Indian sub-continent 
and in many other parts of the world (Bouquet, 1950; Chopra & 
Chopra, 1957); and these uses are still common in the Himalay- 
as. Chopra (1933) and Chopra & Chopra (1957) outline some of 
the common modes of consumption of Cannabis in the Indian 
sub-continent: 
Masum: A special type of confection, for the preparation of 
205 
