| Information sheets | | | Elsenburg infopaks | | | Crops, other: 8 |
Dagga
Afrikaans | Xhosa
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Dagga is the dried leaves and flowers of the plant
Cannabis Sativa and is greenish brown.
Dagga grows very well in poor conditions; therefore some people grow it as their only product. It is usually planted intermingled with the plants of other crops, or in the ravines of mountains. |
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After it has been harvested, the dagga is transported from the mountains by horses or donkeys, to the low-lying areas where it is loaded onto lorries that take it to the smugglers. |
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Dagga is sold in the following forms:
At present, dagga sells at R1.00 per gramme and the prices vary from R1.00 for a pipeful of 1 g to R2,000 for a grain-bagful of 20 kg. Dagga is usually smoked, eaten as a cookie or drunk as tea. |
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The most common usage is to smoke it through a bottleneck. The neck of a bottle is smashed off and a filter, known as a diamond, is made of a piece of rolled-up paper. The filter is then placed in the mouth of the bottleneck with the dagga on top of it. The hands of a person who smokes dagga through a bottleneck are usually stained yellowish brown.
Dagga can also be smoked in the form of a cigarette, known as a slowboat. Dagga does not burn readily. Therefore it is usually mixed with cigarette tobacco. The process is known as salting. The active ingredient of dagga, THC, is absorbed by the fatty tissue of the body, and is released very slowly. Most of the fatty cells of the body are found in the brain and the sex glands. The dagga from one slowboat can still be traced in the human body up to three weeks after it has been smoked. Dagga holds many dangers for the human body. One slowboat, for example, is equal to five cigarettes. |
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When dagga is smoked through a bottleneck, the smoke is inhaled directly into the lungs. Just imagine what damage it can cause to your lungs.
When you smoke dagga, you subject yourself to the following risks:
What does the law say? You may not possess, use, sell, purchase, send, cultivate, supply or move dagga. If you possess dagga, or engage in dagga trafficking, the court can give you a heavy fine or sentence you to jail for up to ten years. |
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Mandrax
Second to dagga, mandrax or buttons is the most common illegal drug being abused in South Africa. The active ingredient in mandrax is methacholine. And it also contains antihistamine. Mandrax tablets come in various colours and sizes and are named in accordance with the image impressed on them, for example mercedes, volkswagen, german, flowers, etc. Mandrax was prescribed as a sleeping tablet during the sixties. Initially it was believed to be a very beneficial and safe agent, but in 1977 it was banned after it had been found to lead to large-scale addiction. South Africa is the only country in the world where dagga and mandrax are used together. They can also be dissolved and injected. |
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Mandrax is pulverised and mixed with dagga. Then it is smoked through a
bottleneck known as "witpyp" or slowboat. The pulverised mandrax can also be sprinkled over the dagga, and then it is known as cremora or cream.
South Africa is the world's greatest consumer of mandrax. It is estimated that about 80 % of the world's production of mandrax are smuggled to South Africa. India is the world's greatest producer of mandrax. It is then smuggled to South Africa through countries such as Swaziland and Mozambique. However, South Africa also has mandrax factories. At present, mandrax costs between R30 and R60 per tablet, depending on its availability and quality. |
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Because mandrax is usually used together with dagga, the danger that accompanies it, is the same as those that go with dagga. In addition there are also the following:
Just like dagga, law also prohibits mandrax. Possession of or trade in it can lead to a large fine or a prison sentence of up to ten years. |
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Where can I get help?
Remember, there are always people who are willing to listen and to help a person with a drink or drug problem. Do feel welcome to contact any of the following local parties or organisations.
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P Mans
ELSENBURG / Narcotics bureau
