Uttarakhand government's decision to allow farmers to cultivation of hemp plants is the first of its kind in India.
HillPost
Farmers from across the state except Terai and Bhabhar regions can now legally grow hemp. While in countries like the US, many states have legalised the cultivation of cannabis for smoking purpose, in Uttarakhand the permission is only for industrial purpose. Farmers will have to get a licence by the excise department to grow cannabis.?
Hemp with a tetra hydro cannabinol (THC) content of 0.3 to 1.5 percent can be used for industrial purposes like in the manufacturing of fibre.
Freedomoutpost
The government has however made it clear that the farmers can only sell their produce to the government and not to private buyers. The move is expected to bring in some much needed cash into the rural economy of Uttrarkhand which is in a dying need for cash crops.?