Charas
Definition
Under the NDPS Act 1985, the separated resin from cannabis including concentrated preparations and hashish; distinct from ganja (flowering tops) and from hemp fibre/leaves. Possession and trafficking carry separate quantity thresholds under the Act.
- Governing law
- NDPS Act 1985 (India)
- Source
- Separated cannabis resin
- Includes
- Concentrated preparations and hashish
- Distinct from
- Ganja and hemp fibre/leaves
Common questions
Why does the NDPS Act distinguish charas from ganja?+
The Act sets separate quantity thresholds for small, commercial, and intermediate quantities for each cannabis derivative, so correctly identifying whether a seized substance is resin-based charas or flowering-top ganja directly affects which sentencing band applies.
How is charas distinguished analytically from ganja in a lab?+
Charas is the concentrated resin itself rather than plant material, so it typically shows a much higher THC concentration and lacks the identifiable plant morphology that a forensic botanist uses to confirm ganja from trichome and leaf structure.
Related terms
- Δ9-THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)
- The primary psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis, formed by decarboxylation of THCA. Molecular formula C21H30O2, MW 314.46 g/mol. The 0.3% dry-weight threshold under...
- AMB-FUBINACA (ADB-FUBINACA)
- A third-wave synthetic cannabinoid of the fluorobenzyl indazole carboxamide scaffold identified in the 2016 New York mass-poisoning event; associated with intense, prolonged...
- CBD (Cannabidiol)
- A non-psychoactive cannabinoid and regioisomer of THC with the same molecular formula but a different double bond position. Dominant in hemp varieties....
- CBGA (Cannabigerolic Acid)
- The universal biosynthetic precursor to the major cannabinoids. Formed in cannabis trichomes by condensation of geranyl pyrophosphate and olivetolic acid; converted to...
- CBN (Cannabinol)
- An oxidation product of THC that accumulates as cannabis ages. High CBN:THC ratio is a qualitative marker of old or degraded cannabis...
- Duquenois-Levine Test
- A three-reagent presumptive test for cannabinoids: vanillin + acetaldehyde in ethanol (Reagent 1), concentrated hydrochloric acid (Reagent 2), and chloroform partition (Reagent...
- HHC (Hexahydrocannabinol)
- A hydrogenated form of THC produced by catalytic reduction of the 9-10 double bond, existing as (9R)-HHC (active) and (9S)-HHC (less active)...
- JWH-018
- 1-Pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole; the prototypical first-wave synthetic cannabinoid developed by John W. Huffman at Clemson University and identified in K2/Spice products from 2008. Scheduled...
- Total THC Calculation
- The formula (THCA x 0.877) + Δ9-THC that converts the THCA fraction to its decarboxylated THC equivalent, required by USDA ASTM methods...