Dynamics of ganja cultivation in Manipur

Case study of a village in Ukhrul district
Economic & Political Weekly (India)
Saturday, August 16, 2014

india manipur cannabisIn the absence of alternative means of livelihood, ganja cultivation for decades has been the mainstay of livelihood for many families in the backward district of Ukhrul, Manipur. For these poor cultivators, earning a living takes precedence over considerations of morality and dangers involved in the illegal cultivation of this crop. The cultivation of ganja has been in practice for the  more than five decades in the district. About one-third of the respondents’ parents were reported to have cultivated ganja. One of the respondents had been cultivating ganja for the last 36 years. However, there were new entrants as well, who were cultivating it for the first or the second time.