Crossword Genius

It's an illegal substance - the man's in a mess (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

hashish

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'it's an illegal substance' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'man's in a mess' is the wordplay.
'man's' becomes 'His' (belonging to a man).
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'a mess' becomes 'hash' (I've seen this before).
'his' placed into 'hash' is 'HASHISH'.

'the' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for hashish that I've seen before include "Cannabis" , "Pot" , "Hallucinogenic extract of hemp" , "Resinous product of hemp smoked as drug" , "Grass" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app