Revealed reality of cultivation and licit/illicit use of Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) in the western mid-hills of Nepal: a list experiment

Cannabis has a long history of utilization in various regions around the world for different purposes. In western Nepal, Cannabis is specifically used as a food crop, textile material, and lucrative cash crop, although the Nepali Narcotic Drug Control Act of 1976 ultimately prohibits Nepali farmers from sowing, trading, or selling their Cannabis crop. Regardless of this act, farmers are continuing these practices illegally, especially in remote regions where Cannabis has grown for centuries. The purpose of this study was to understand the current social acceptability of Cannabis cultivation in rural Nepal and to consider the future potential for legitimate cultivation. We tested two interconnected behaviors associated with Cannabis farming in the hill regions of western Nepal. The item count technique was applied to estimate the number of farmers who actively sow or plant Cannabis, and may also be selling Cannabis husks, a byproduct used in illicit drug production, for income generation. We compared our item count treatment with a direct questionnaire for farmers within the same region. Our results indicate that planting Cannabis is not a sensitive behavior, as more than 97% of the respondents directly stated that they plant Cannabis. The item count technique, however, did indicate that selling Cannabis husks is a sensitive behavior, where 29% were shown to sell husks when they were asked using the item count technique, whereas 2% of the farmers confirmed selling husks when asked directly. We also found that all the households in our study consumed seeds, which are highly nutritious food crops, both at home and at community gatherings. Direct questionnaire surveys also revealed that farmers can trade their seed crops for goods such as salt, soap, and oil or sell them for cash income. Thus, the current law, which is based solely on drug control, needs to be changed on the basis of the revealed multifaceted values and realities, including health, culture and rural economic development.