Hyderabad homes turn fertile ground for ganja farming 

It was not long ago that the Hyderabad police arrested a 30-year-old man for selling ganja (cannabis) at Manikonda.
A cannabis plant in the balcony of an apartment in Hyderabad | express photo
A cannabis plant in the balcony of an apartment in Hyderabad | express photo

HYDERABAD: It was not long ago that the Hyderabad police arrested a 30-year-old man for selling ganja (cannabis) at Manikonda. A raid at his house shocked the cops, who found he’d been growing an indoor cannabis garden. 


Now, take this balcony in a rundown apartment — that opens up to a windowless wall — as an example. It’s a small space doubling up for a storage room, strewn with discarded household stuff. However, in one corner, perched atop the parapet is a potted cannabis plant. “It’s a female plant and would produce weed that would be sufficient for me,” says the owner of the house.


Growing ganja indoors is no rocket science. It’s the means to an end resorted to  because of the exorbitant rates in the market as well as crackdown by cops. “A packet of ganja is being sold in the market for as much as ` 250 to `300. Earlier, it used to cost `100. Plus, the effort involved in scoring the stuff is no less than strategising a war,” says 25-year-old Pawan (name changed).


This is what made Pawan shift to the DIY (Do It Yourself) way and he has, by now, tasted or rather smoked up a round of his own produce. Also, there is no fear of getting spiked stuff, adds Pawan. Living far from home in an independent house makes it easier for him to carry on with the experiments. 


In the parking area of the same apartment one can see the plant growing quite openly. The tenants say it might have grown from seeds thrown randomly. These are not isolated cases as cannabis is, and has been, a favourite for many. Meanwhile, police maintain that stringent action will be taken against those cultivating ganja at home.

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The New Indian Express
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