2023 Volume 67 Issue 4 Pages 99-109
Cannabis is a versatile crop that has been used not only as a textile material but also as a drug since ancient times. This crop is widely called “ganja” in Hindi in South Asia, including Bangladesh. Ganja as a drug was allowed to be cultivated officially from Colonial India to 1987 by the Ganja Society Office in the Naogaon district of Bangladesh. However, some reports on the cultivation and production of ganja were published in the 19th century, but no further information has been available since then. This study not only compiled previous and old records about them, but also revealed and updated a traditional cultivation and production system through interviews with the last generation of farmers who had experienced it. Cultivation and production techniques were highly developed and sophisticated to optimize a better yield and quality. The cultivation area was divided into three circles, and could only grow ganja in a rotation every three years. This unique system worked for good production and sustainable land use. The male plants were eliminated by the so called “ganja doctor” before they bloomed, with his particular expertise in order to obtain high quality ganja products. The production process was carried out in a fenced yard and managed systematically under strict surveillance. However, this accumulated knowledge and skills are being lost year by year. The results of this study of ganja cultivation and production techniques in Naogaon will play an important role in future production in Bangladesh.
