Interesting story…and gets us away from a constant North American narrative
Bhubaneswar, August 19: A unique strain of cannabis called Sheelavathi primarily cultivated in tribal districts of Odisha is dominating the ganja market across the country, surpassing the well-known Malana Cream, Idukki Gold and Mysore Mango varieties, which were dominating the ganja market for the last several decades.
The high demand for Sheelavathi ganja in the drugs market has turned focus of peddlers towards the Odisha. It is wildly cultivated in Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Rayagada, Boudh and Koraput districts in the state.
A recent data from the enforcement department reveals that Sheelavathi accounts for more than 70 per cent of the 23 lakh kilos of ganja confiscated by the NCB nationwide in the past four years.
Sheelavathi is highly demanded because of its affordability compared to other varieties such as Malana Cream and Idukki Gold from Kerala. Besides, it possesses a unique set of terpenes and aromatic compounds, setting it apart from other cannabis varieties, said a NCB official.
The drug mafias are investing money in Odisha for the last several years due to the increasing demand of Sheelavathi in metro cities. They are luring poor tribals for Sheelavathi cultivation by providing Rs 10,000 per acre for farming of the contraband and providing water pump for irrigation, fertilisers and other minor expenses needed. After harvesting, the tribal are getting a token money per kg as profit, according to an insider.
Some middlemen coordinate between the farmers and mafias and the NCB and other security agencies find it difficult to get any direct connection between the ganja farmers and investors as they never prefer online transaction.
Around 2.5 to 3 quital ganja is yielded from one acre cultivation with an investment of around Rs 50,000 and its market price hovers between Rs 1500 to Rs 2500 depending on quality which rises to Rs 4000 to Rs 5000 during rainy season.
Odisha police has seized around 500 quintal ganja during the first quarter of 2024 from January 1 to March 31 and a record 1,850 quintal ganja was seized in 2023 with arrest of over 1,600 peddlers in 2023. Similarly, 1,177 quintal was seized in 2022.
