Kandhamal’s Illicit Cannabis Hub

Why in News?

The Kandhamal district of Odisha has emerged as a major hotspot for illicit cannabis cultivation, with record seizures reported in 2025, bringing national attention to the growing nexus between rural distress, geography, and the illegal narcotics economy.

Background and Context

Kandhamal, a tribal-dominated and forest-rich district in central Odisha, is known for its GI-tagged Kandhamal turmeric, celebrated for its high curcumin content and export potential.
Paradoxically, despite this agricultural recognition, large sections of the population continue to face chronic poverty, weak market access, and limited livelihood diversification.

This development deficit has increasingly pushed vulnerable communities toward illicit cannabis cultivation, which offers:

• Quick returns
• Minimal upfront investment
• Ready demand through organised trafficking networks

The phenomenon reflects a deeper policy and governance paradox—where legally promoted crops coexist with illegal but economically more viable alternatives.

Why Kandhamal Has Become a Cannabis Hotspot

1. Favourable Geography

• Kandhamal’s remote, hilly, and forested terrain makes:
  • Surveillance difficult
  • Road access limited
  • Law enforcement operations logistically challenging
• Dense forests provide natural cover for clandestine cultivation.

2. Climatic Suitability

• Cannabis thrives in:
  • Temperatures of 20–30°C
  • Humidity levels of 40–70%
• Kandhamal’s agro-climatic conditions are ideal, requiring little irrigation or fertiliser.

3. Economic Distress and Livelihood Gaps

• Limited non-farm employment opportunities
• Low and unstable returns from legal crops
• Poor access to markets, credit, and storage facilities
• Weak implementation of value-chain support for GI-tagged turmeric

Together, these factors make illicit cultivation an economic coping strategy rather than merely a criminal choice.

Understanding Cannabis

What is Cannabis?

• Cannabis is a generic term used by the World Health Organization (WHO) for psychoactive preparations derived from Cannabis sativa.
• The principal psychoactive component is delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
• Structurally similar compounds are known as cannabinoids.

Cannabis Cultivation in India

• Naturally found in:
  • Indo-Gangetic plains
  • Deccan Plateau
• Grows easily in varied soil types with moderate climatic conditions.

Legal and Regulatory Framework

NDPS Act, 1985

• Governs cannabis regulation in India.
• Criminalises:
  • Cultivation
  • Possession
  • Sale, purchase, transport, and consumption
• Strictly bans ganja (flowering tops) and charas (resin).

Permissible Exceptions

• Central Government may allow cannabis cultivation for:
  • Industrial hemp (fibre, seeds, oils)
  • Horticultural and research purposes
• Seeds and leaves without flowering tops are excluded, allowing states to regulate products like bhang.

State-Level Developments

• Uttarakhand became the first Indian state to legalise industrial hemp cultivation, under strict licensing.

International Context

• In 2020, the UN removed cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, recognising its medical potential.
• However, it remains under Schedule I, requiring strict regulation.

Policy Irony: GI Turmeric vs Illicit Cannabis

• Kandhamal turmeric enjoys:
  • GI status
  • Export demand
  • Policy support in principle
• Yet, lack of:
  • Processing infrastructure
  • Assured procurement
  • Farmer collectives and branding
    has weakened its economic viability.

This gap highlights failures in inclusive rural development, where benefits of legal recognition fail to translate into sustainable livelihoods.

Governance and Security Implications

• Growth of illicit cultivation fuels:
  • Organised crime networks
  • Drug trafficking corridors
  • Local criminalisation of vulnerable communities
• Creates law-and-order challenges in tribal and forest regions.
• Undermines:
  • Public health
  • Rule of law
  • Long-term development prospects

Way Forward

Integrated Development Approach

• Strengthen value chains for GI-tagged turmeric and forest produce.
• Promote agro-processing, MSP-like mechanisms, and cooperative marketing.

Alternative Livelihoods

• Skill development in:
  • Minor forest produce
  • Eco-tourism
  • Horticulture and medicinal plants

Targeted Enforcement

• Intelligence-led operations against trafficking networks rather than criminalising marginal farmers alone.
• Use of satellite imagery and drones for surveillance.

Policy Reforms

• Explore regulated industrial hemp cultivation in suitable regions.
• Align narcotics control with development-centric tribal policies.