Author Ed Rosenthal traces how international pressure criminalized a plant long woven into Indian life, and why he believes it is time to bring ganja back under regulation. Follow Ed on Instagram.
Introduction: Returning to India With Purpose
When I first visited India in 1981, cannabis cultivation was still legal in certain regions. During that trip, I photographed a large, government-regulated ganja farm—an experience that left a lasting impression. The plants were grown openly, harvested responsibly, and taxed by the state.
Today, cultivation is no longer legal anywhere in India. Yet cannabis remains widely available throughout the country—typically of poor quality, harvested prematurely before flowering, and sold through unregulated channels. Prohibition has not eliminated cannabis use; it has simply ensured inferior products while generating no public benefit.
On earlier trips, I came to India as a tourist. This time, I returned with a purpose: to support the growing re-legalization movement and to help spark what civil rights leader John Lewis once called “good trouble.” At a recent meeting with activists, I was asked to outline clear reasons why India should re-legalize ganja. That outline is now circulating throughout the country.
What follows is a practical, historically grounded case for reform.
Women processing freshly harvested cannabis at a government-regulated ganja farm in India during my 1981 visit—part of a legal agricultural system that no longer exists.
Cannabis and India — A Deep Historical Relationship
Cannabis is not foreign to India. The plant originated in Central and South Asia and has grown naturally in the Himalayan foothills for millions of years. Humans have used cannabis on the subcontinent for at least 10,000 years—for food, fiber, medicine, ritual, and pleasure.
For centuries, ganja and charas were cultivated, traded, regulated, and taxed. Cannabis use was woven into daily life, Ayurvedic medicine, and religious practice …
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Author: Ed Rosenthal / High Times
