Stores selling bhang-laced cupcakes

Had the song 'Khaike Paan Banaras Wala' been shot in 2012, tumblers of bhang would be replaced with bhang-laced cupcakes, pastries and chocolates.

Had the song 'Khaike Paan Banaras Wala' been shot in 2012, tumblers of bhang would be replaced with bhang-laced cupcakes, pastries and chocolates.

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Even as the sale of bhang, a potent extract of the cannabis plant, is deemed illegal by the police authorities, several city-based revelers are decorating their Holi thalis with these chocolate goodies.

Served in both egg and egg-less varieties, the bhang-laced goodies are available on a made-to-order basis at a few gourmet cake shops in the city. Bhang cupcakes are priced at Rs75 per piece, pastries will cost Rs90 each and bhang chocolates will cost Rs500 per kg.

"We use a restricted quantity of the bhang paste while baking the pastries and cupcakes," said the owner of a cake shop in Parel requesting anonymity.

Saral Saraf, 24, a resident of Malad said: "The taste of bhang mixed with chocolate sounds exciting."

Police will keep an eye on the illegal distribution of bhang pills. "Consuming bhang does not come under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. However, one requires a permit to consume it," said deputy commissioner of police Nisar Tamboli.