In high demand, hemp products can generate income for farmers

The state government is treading cautiously on allowing controlled cultivation of cannabis but the huge untapped market and the demand for hemp products can open the door to revenue generation and economic prosperity of farmers.

The state government is keen to minutely examine all aspects, especially the legal implications of this contentious issue, before grants licences to farmers. Malana in Kullu is infamous for drug trafficking and supply of high quality hash world over, hence the authorities concerned want to ensure that cannabis is not misused for narcotic use. The issue of allowing controlled cultivation of cannabis in Himachal has been in focus for the past one decade but there has been little progress. However, the present Congress government is keen to push the proposal.

Exhaustive deliberations have been held with stakeholders and a high-level team headed by Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi has visited cannabis growing states like Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to get feedback on the issue. The committee has already submitted its report to the Cabinet but there has been no progress since then. Deliberations are now being held to frame rules to facilitate cannabis cultivation under a strict legal framework.

The Revenue Minister says that cannabis cultivation, especially for narcotic use in the pharmaceutical industry, will be allowed only under strict vigil and control. “The cannabis variety for use in the pharma sector will be allowed only in poly houses having CCTV cameras and under strict supervision. So, it is a misconception that there will be misuse of cannabis for narcotic purpose,” he adds.

“There is a huge market and demand for hemp products but there is absence of awareness. It is through hand-holding that the government along with stakeholders can make farmers aware about various uses of cannabis,” says Siddharta Gupta, founder and CEO of Indian Hempstore, popularly called the Amazon of hemp in India.

Indian Hempstore is sourcing raw material from cannabis plants from Uttarakhand and Solan and Chamba in Himachal. “There is a huge market for hemp products, including apparel, leather, chocolate, cosmetics and medicines. If there is easy availability of raw material, the market is huge,” he says.

The example of Rohit Chauhan, a resident of Fatehpur in Kangra, can inspire many to take up cannabis cultivation. Chauhan has done higher studies from the University of Sienna in Italy and undertaken extensive research on phylogenetic traces of Indian species of hemp in collaboration with the University of Quebec.

He is at present engaged in cannabis cultivation in Uganda with returns as high as Rs 90 lakh per hectare from hybrid varieties being grown in Africa. “Besides creating awareness, we need to create a seed bank and the returns in India can be very high on account of low manufacturing cost and cheap labour. The cost of production in India can be a mere Rs 10 to Rs 20 as compared to Rs 100 to Rs 200 in the US,” says Chauhan.

There are many others like Dr Rashmi, Paediatric dentist, who inspired by the vast market for hemp products has started making toothpaste. “There is a huge market and I plan to graduate to manufacturing gum serum, mouthwash and other products for dental care,” she says.

With limited avenues for revenue generation, the cash-strapped Himachal Government is hoping to supplement its income from cannabis.

Himachal Tribune