Rapid Fire
Illicit Cannabis Cultivation in Kandhamal
- 16 Dec 2025
- 3 min read
The verdant hills of Kandhamal district in Odisha have emerged as a major hotspot of illicit cannabis cultivation, drawing national attention due to record seizures in 2025.
- Policy Irony: Kandhamal is known for geographical indication (GI)-tagged Kandhamal turmeric, yet economic distress has pushed villagers towards illicit cultivation, underscoring gaps in inclusive rural development.
- Favourable Geography: The district’s remote, forested, hilly terrain, coupled with a climate suitable for cannabis, makes surveillance and access extremely difficult, aiding clandestine cultivation.
- Cannabis: Cannabis is a generic term used by the World Health Organization (WHO) for various psychoactive preparations derived from the plant Cannabis sativa.
- The major psychoactive constituent in cannabis is delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Compounds which are structurally similar to THC are referred to as cannabinoids.
- Cannabis grows best in moderate temperatures of 20–30°C, with humidity levels between 40–70% depending on the growth stage.
- Cannabis Growth in India: Found in Indo-Gangetic plains and Deccan region.
- Regulation of Cannabis: It is primarily governed by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which criminalises the cultivation, possession, sale, purchase, transport, and consumption of cannabis, especially its resin (charas) and flowering tops (ganja).
- The Act empowers the Central Government to permit the cultivation for industrial purposes, including fibre, seeds, oils, and horticultural uses.
- However, the Act excludes seeds and leaves when not accompanied by the tops, allowing states to regulate products like bhang through their own laws.
- Uttarakhand is the first state to legalize industrial cannabis cultivation (hemp).
- The UN removed cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, recognising its therapeutic potential, while retaining it in Schedule I for regulated medical use.
| Read more: Himachal Pradesh Contemplates Legalizing Cannabis Cultivation |
