Field Report #3: Western Dooars and the Kalimpong Range
- Éloïse
- Jun 30
- 21 min read
Updated: Jul 7
Introduction
We’ve now entered the Western Dooars and lower Kalimpong Range sector of this year’s Northeast India survey. This zone forms the transitional belt between the Teesta River floodplain and the outer ridge lines of the Eastern Himalayas, encompassing a varied terrain of low hills, river gorges, and forest-agriculture interfaces. The survey route in this segment followed a rising arc from Siliguri through Bagrakote, Mal Bazaar, and Satkaya, before ascending along the Jaldhaka river basin into the highland settlements of Sipchu, Paren, and Suruk, and reaching Todey and Chisang on the Bhutani border.
This is a region defined by its verticality and fragmentation. Elevation rises rapidly from ~150m in the Dooars lowlands to over 1800m in the upper catchments of the Jaldhaka. Land use changes with altitude: expansive flood-irrigated rice fields and jute plots give way to mixed garden cropping, then to forest-bordered tea estates, and finally to steep-slope subsistence fields and isolated household compounds tucked into folds of forested ridges. The region’s hydrology is shaped by Himalayan tributaries descending into the Dooars from Bhutan and the Kalimpong Hills, carving out narrow valleys and creating highly localised cultivation zones. The built environment reflects this fragmentation: roads become single-lane and unpaved, settlements grow more diffuse and access to basic infrastructure becomes uneven or inaccessible beyond the plantation belt.
Ecologically, the Western Dooars belong to the Himalayan foothill mosaic zone, an ecotonal band where the flora of the Gangetic plains intergrades with that of the subtropical lower Himalayas. Forest cover is uneven, concentrated in designated reserve areas, riverbanks and inaccessible slopes, while heavily modified landscapes extend across plantation zones and settled valleys. Sal (Shorea robusta) dominates the lower elevations, accompanied by moist deciduous associates such as Terminalia spp., Syzygium spp. and understory bamboos. Higher up, mixed hardwoods give way to pine fragments, scrub forest, and forest-fallow mosaics. In between lie patchworks of intensive tea monoculture, jhum scars, homestead gardens and seasonally cultivated clearings. This heterogeneity creates an ecological matrix in which feral and domesticate cannabis populations persist in a wide variety of light regimes, soil types, and disturbance cycles.
The demographic landscape reflects and reinforces the region’s layered socio-ecological history. Bengali-speaking populations dominate the lower elevations, while various Adivasi communities, many descended from groups forcibly relocated as indentured labourers under colonial plantation schemes remain concentrated around tea estates and marginal agricultural zones. In the upper foothills and mountain margins, Himalayan ethnolinguistic minorities including Lepcha, Bhutia, Rai, and Nepali-speaking communities form semi-autonomous cultural enclaves. These communities coexist within overlapping land tenure regimes shaped by forest governance, customary practices, and inconsistent enforcement of state policy. The legacy of colonial extraction, visible in the layout of tea plantations, road infrastructure and administrative boundaries remains entangled with contemporary development schemes and conservation projects, often producing contradictory mandates and uneven access to land, markets, and state support.
In this context, cannabis cultivation, seed exchange, and ethnobotanical knowledge persist not as isolated cultural residues, but as adaptive practices embedded within a historically stratified and administratively incoherent landscape.
Cannabis in this zone appears across a broad range of ecological and cultural contexts. These reflect the region’s verticality, land use patterns and social fragmentation:
Feral Populations
Feral cannabis was observed across a wide ecological band: from roadside verges and canal edges in full sun or partial shade in the lowlands to gravel banks, forest margins, and disturbed soils in the heavily shaded uplands. These populations consistently expressed greater morphological variation than their lowland counterparts, with terpene profiles skewing citrus-forward and occasional individuals exhibiting mentholated or resinous medicinal notes. Across zones, they were typically located in disturbed or transitional spaces, including road cuts, erosion-prone slopes, and field margins indicating a strong adaptation to mixed-light, high-competition environments within the foothill forest-agriculture interface.
Domesticate Landrace Populations
Cannabis under cultivation was primarily observed in low-visibility contexts: intercropped into household gardens, maintained near animal enclosures, or growing within enclosed compounds. In several cases, plants were grown for veterinary use or informal local trade. These populations appear to reflect long-maintained local lines propagated through household seed saving and decentralised peer-to-peer exchange. Boundaries between managed and unmanaged populations were often ambiguous, with volunteers and cultivated individuals growing in close proximity suggesting regular gene flow between domesticate and feral populations within village margins and household peripheries.
Hidden Commercial Cultivation
Commercial cultivation was not directly observed during this phase, but local informants described concealed plantings in forest-adjacent zones and near the Bhutan border. These sites, where present, are typically embedded in steep slopes, forest buffers, or riverbank clearings, making them difficult to access or monitor without local guidance. While enforcement intensity varies by location, risk remains high due to overlapping jurisdictions involving forest departments, local police, and informal community surveillance. The structural criminalisation of cannabis cultivation under Indian narcotics law continues to shape planting strategies, harvest timing, and spatial concealment.
This segment of the survey yielded a diverse cross-section of Dooars and Himalayan foothill cannabis ecologies. Across altitudinal zones, we documented feral populations with marked morphological heterogeneity relative to the plains, as well as smallholder landrace cultivation embedded in subsistence practices and veterinary applications. While large-scale commercial cultivation was not directly encountered during this phase, we received multiple confirmations of its presence and accessed flowers in local markets that likely originated from such plantings.
Despite challenging weather and seasonal limitations, we conducted targeted accessions and field interviews across a range of elevations and settlement types, with further collections deferred pending maturation. Access to Tangta, a known cultivation area, was temporarily obstructed due to both monsoonal conditions and lack of C-form registration at local homestays. Nevertheless, this phase confirmed the continued persistence of both managed and unmanaged cannabis populations throughout the Western Dooars and lower Kalimpong Range, and introduced us to several cultivators engaged in informal conservation and seed exchange networks whose work will inform and support our return to the region later in the season.
Washabari
Washabari is a small foothill village situated along the Siliguri–Bagrakote corridor in the lower Western Dooars. The area lies at approximately 200m elevation and marks the beginning of the agroecological transition from lowland floodplain to subtropical foothill forest. Land use in the village is mixed: household compounds are bordered by small garden plots, while tea estates and secondary forest patches define much of the surrounding landscape.
A small but distinct feral cannabis population was documented growing along the roadside on the northern edge of the village. These individuals were located in disturbed areas: road verges, erosion-prone slopes and gravel-strewn margins under conditions of full sun to partial shade. Plants displayed strong skunk and gas-forward terpene profiles, with several individuals showing early floral development. Morphologically, plants were structurally well-developed and free of visible pathogen or insect pressure.
Seed collections were made from multiple female plants in this stand, forming the first accession of feral cannabis from the Western Dooars sector:
Washabari Feral General Population Accession #1
Genetics: Western Dooars Feral
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Feral
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Washabari
District: Jalpaiguri
Province: West Bengal
Area: Western Dooars
Region: Dooars
Appellation: Washabari
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: Self seeding
Regional Harvest: June through October
Height: 1-3m
Classification: Feral population
While exiting the village, two cultivated cannabis plants were observed, one growing in an open space next to a tree and the other beside the outdoor toilets, both near a residential structure.
The first plant was approximately 1.5m in height, bushy, with compact nodal spacing and no visible signs of stress.
The other was planted more recently and was around 50cm in height, with few defining characteristics due to immaturity.
Both remained in vegetative stage at time of survey and are likely being maintained under household care.
Informal conversation with nearby residents confirmed that ganja cultivation occurs within Washabari on a small household scale and on a commercial scale in secluded areas near the Bhutani border though no additional plots were located. Community members declined to share seeds or flowers but recommended we inquire at the Bagrakote market for both.
Bagrakote
Following our visit to Washabari, we continued north-east into Bagrakote, a semi-rural foothill settlement situated on the margins of a large tea estate complex. The area lies between 150-200m elevation and marks a transitional agroecological zone between the Western Dooars plains and the lower ridge lines of the Kalimpong Range. The surrounding landscape is dominated by tea monoculture, secondary forest, and fragmented subsistence plots concentrated around the settlement core.
Upon entering the village, we observed a tall, flowering cannabis plant growing along the outer wall of a residential compound. The plant was over 2m in height, with elongated internodes and great . The grower - an older male homeowner confirmed that the plant was cultivated intentionally and that he had recently removed several nearby feral individuals to prevent unwanted pollination.
We initiated conversation and were invited to observe the plant more closely. The grower agreed to share a small quantity of seed, which was collected from plants grown last year. No additional plants were observed within the property.
The collected seed forms our first domesticate landrace accession from this sector:
Bagrakote Domesticate Landrace Accession #1
Genetics: Western Dooars Domesticate Landrace
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Ganja (gãja)
Farmer: (pseudonym: Binod)
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Bagrakote
District: Jalpaiguri
Province: West Bengal
Area: Western Dooars
Region: Dooars
Appellation: Bagrakote
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: February through April
Regional Harvest: September through November
Height: 1-3m
Classification: Domesticate Landrace population
After completing the accession, we returned to the main road and initiated further inquiries at the local market. With the help of a rickshaw driver, we purchased a selection of local cannabis flower ten packets of approximately 10g each, sourced from an undisclosed supplier based in the village. The material was almost seedless, only 20 seeds from 100g of flowers, with a sweet, earthy aroma and subtle floral notes.Seeds recovered from this flower appeared consistent in size and shape with those collected earlier at the village residence, further suggesting local origin.
These represent our second landrace and our first commercial accession of this segment:
Bagrakote Commercial Landrace Accession #1
Genetics: Western Dooars Landrace
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Ganja (gãja)
Farmer: Unknown
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Bagrakote
District: Jalpaiguri
Province: West Bengal
Area: Western Dooars
Region: Dooars
Appellation: Bagrakote
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: Unknown, presumably Spring
Regional Harvest: October through February
Height: Unknown, estimated at 1-4m
Classification: Commercial Landrace Population
Near the market, we found a very large (approx 500+ individuals) feral population behind the local dhabas. The plants were self seeding and evidently feral, with many individuals showing good resin production and structure. Aromas ranged from very skunky through to medicinal. The entire area smelled offensive, with a saturation of aromas in the air due to the large number of plants.
From selected females, we made a general population accession:
Bagrakote Feral General Population Accession #1
Genetics: Western Dooars Feral
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Feral
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)Village(s): Bagrakote
District: Jalpaiguri
Province: West Bengal
Area: Western Dooars
Region: Dooars
Appellation: Bagrakote
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: Self seeding
Regional Harvest: June through October
Height: 1-3m
Classification: Feral population
No additional cultivation sites were documented during this phase. We departed Bagrakote later that afternoon and continued east toward Odlabari for overnight lodging before resuming survey work the following day.
Mal Bazaar
Departing Bagrakote, we proceeded eastward into Mal Bazaar, the subdivision headquarters situated at approximately 167m elevation. The area serves as a regional node for agricultural exchange and tea estate administration, with dense roadside settlement flanked by linear commercial development and peri-urban garden plots.
A roadside feral population was identified on the eastern edge of town, growing along an erosion-prone slope adjacent to a dry streambed behind a tea worker settlement. The population consisted of approximately 100 individuals distributed across gravelly, compacted soils under conditions of partial shade. The plants sported deep, dark red coloured stems and less slender leaves than previous feral accessions in this region. Structurally, plants in this patch were compact with few nodes. Resin production was moderate yet aromatic profiles were pungent, skewing skunk-forward with faint medicinal notes.
Seed was collected forming the following general population accession:
Mal Bazaar Feral General Population Accession #1
Genetics: Western Dooars Feral
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Feral
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Mal Bazaar
District: Jalpaiguri
Province: West Bengal
Area: Western Dooars
Region: Dooars
Appellation: Mal Bazaar
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: Self seeding
Regional Harvest: June through October
Height: 1–3m
Classification: Feral population
No landrace cannabis populations were observed within Mal Bazaar proper. Informal discussions with local residents suggested that active cultivation tends to occur in smaller nearby villages beyond the town perimeter. Multiple individuals independently recommended Satkaya as a possible location for observing domesticate cultivation.
We departed Mal Bazaar midday and continued toward Satkaya for the next phase of the survey.
Satkaya
Satkaya is a small settlement located east of Mal Bazaar, situated at approximately 190m elevation. The village lies along a transitional corridor linking peri-urban foothill towns to more remote forest-bordered settlements. Land use in this zone is characterised by smallholder compounds, seasonal garden plots, and narrow strips of degraded forest held in partial reserve. Settlement density is moderate, with visible signs of subsistence-level agriculture and backyard horticulture dominating the landscape.
Upon entering the village outskirts, a mixed landrace and feral population was documented growing within a residential compound along the roadside. The stand consisted of roughly 20 individuals, mostly female, scattered along the garden boundary adjacent to the road. Plants appeared vigorous and healthy, showing narrow leaf morphology, vigor, good structure and a delicate sweet melon like aromatic profile. Seed maturity was high in several individuals.
Seed was collected from a beautiful early-seeding female, forming the following accession:
Satkaya Feral Accession #1
Genetics: Western Dooars Feral
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Feral
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Satkaya
District: Jalpaiguri
Province: West Bengal
Area: Western Dooars
Region: Dooars
Appellation: Satkaya
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: Self seeding
Regional Harvest: June through October
Height: 1–3m
Classification: Mixed Landrace & Feral Cannabis population
We were invited by the compound’s residents into their home, where we met the grower, an older male household head who confirmed that the feral population had been partially cultivated (several individuals were planted intentionally amongst the feral stand and was occasionally used for smoking. He declined photography up close of cultivated plants but acknowledged maintaining a few small cannabis plants in pots in an open window facing the garden. We photographed them in the background of several photos taken of the feral plants. These plants were not in flower at the time of visit and appeared stunted, likely due to being root bound in small pots.
We departed Satkaya in the mid afternoon and began the journey into the Chapramari Forest toward Sipchu.
Sipchu
Continuing eastward, we entered Sipchu, a small settlement located within the Chapramari Forest corridor near the banks of a Jaldhaka tributary. The village lies at approximately 300–400m elevation and is composed of scattered houses along a forest road, surrounded by subtropical mixed hardwood forest and shifting cultivation clearings. The local population is predominantly Nepali-speaking, with households engaged in small-scale agriculture, fuelwood collection and limited forest product gathering.
A robust feral cannabis population was observed spreading throughout the village. The population extended across an estimated 5000+ individuals, growing in loose clusters on semi-disturbed ground under partial shade in the margins between properties and interspersed within garden plots. Morphologically, plants were upright, well-branched and exhibited narrow leaf expression. Terpene profiles were dominated by sharp citrus and lemon notes, with some individuals showing resinous floral characteristics. No significant pest or disease pressure was visible at time of survey.
Seed was collected from a single, statuesque individual at the village boundary with the nearby forest, forming the following accession:
Sipchu 'Lemon' Feral Accession #1
Genetics: Kalimpong Range Feral
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Feral
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Sipchu
District: Kalimpong
Province: West Bengal
Area: Western Dooars
Region: Dooars
Appellation: Chapramari Forest
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: Self seeding
Regional Harvest: June through October
Height: 1–3m
Classification: Feral Cannabis population
General population accessions were made from multiple plants in two of the most attractive patches in the village, forming the following accessions:
Sipchu Feral General Population Accession #1
Genetics: Kalimpong Range Feral
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Feral
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Sipchu
District: Kalimpong
Province: West Bengal
Area: Western Dooars
Region: Dooars
Appellation: Chapramari Forest
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: Self seeding
Regional Harvest: June through October
Height: 1–3m
Classification: Feral Cannabis population
Sipchu Feral General Population Accession #2
Genetics: Kalimpong Range Feral Landrace
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Feral
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Sipchu
District: Kalimpong
Province: West Bengal
Area: Chapramari Forest
Region: Dooars
Appellation: Sipchu
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: Self seeding
Regional Harvest: June through October
Height: 1–3m
Classification: Feral Cannabis population
We spoke with several residents while collecting seed, who confirmed that cannabis was historically used in the area for smoking but that these days it is mostly older residents who keep up the practice. While cultivation was not discernible within the village at the time of visit, there was general familiarity with the plant and recognition of its traditional value. Residents reported that intentional cultivation still occurs sporadically in remote forest areas.
We departed Sipchu later that afternoon and continued the ascent into the higher elevation villages of Paren and Suruk via increasingly steep and winding roads up into the mountains, past Jhalong and deep into the Jhaldaka river's upper reaches.
Paren
Paren is a mid-elevation village situated near the Bhutani border at approximately 600–700m elevation. The settlement lies along a narrow ridge overlooking the upper Jaldhaka valley and is surrounded by steep-slope forest fragments, rotationally cleared agricultural plots, and subsistence gardens. Land use in the area reflects a mixed strategy: montane horticulture, primarily rice, pulses and seasonal vegetables is practised alongside small-scale livestock keeping and limited cash cropping of lychee and cardamom. Households are distributed across terraced compounds, often delineated by bamboo fencing or low stone boundaries. The resident population is composed predominantly of Nepali-speaking families of various ethnic backgrounds, including Tamang, Rai, Lepcha and Bhutia minorities.
During our brief time in the village, we located a single cultivated cannabis plant being maintained within a residential compound. The absence of nearby visible males suggests either feral populations elsewhere (none of which were observed) serve as a pollen source, or that cultivation is more widespread than initial appearances indicate. The plant stood approximately 1–1.2m tall and exhibited a compact, bushy structure with tight internodal spacing and slightly broader, shorter leaflets than any other population documented during this phase. Although still in early vegetative stage, the plant produced a pronounced mentholated aroma on stem rub, with underlying notes of pine and camphor. It had been intentionally cultivated by the household and was reportedly used in veterinary contexts, specifically to treat goats experiencing digestive distress.
Informal conversation with the growers, an older woman and her husband, the household head, confirmed the plant’s role as a traditional household remedy. She noted that while the family no longer used cannabis for recreational or medicinal purposes, they continued to maintain one or two plants each year for veterinary applications. When asked about broader cultivation trends in the village, he explained that some households may still grow discreetly, but cultivation has declined in recent years due to shifting norms and heightened enforcement. The plant was not in flower at the time of the visit and seed collection was not possible.
We departed Paren and continued up the slope toward Upper Paren and Suruk for the next phase of the survey.
Upper Paren
From the main village of Paren, we ascended a short distance to Upper Paren, a sparsely settled extension of the ridge composed of a few isolated homes and subsistence fields scattered along a narrow, partially forested road. Elevation here approaches 750m, with increased canopy cover, cooler temperatures, and steep terrain limiting both the density and extent of cultivation. The area is characterised by fragmented land use: small terraced plots carved into slopes, bamboo groves, and patches of regenerating forest lining the roadside.
Cannabis was not widely visible in the area, but a few feral plants here and there were noted. One particularly beautiful feral individual was located in a small stand of plants located along the outer edge of the road, growing out of gravelly, disturbed soil at the top of a retaining slope near a sharp bend above a greenhouse filled with exotic garden plants. The plant stood approximately 1.5m tall and was structurally lanky but healthy, with narrow leaflets and a notable amount of nodes. Stem rub released a remarkably sharp lemon-forward aroma - among the most distinct olfactory expressions encountered so far on our trip. Similarities between the aroma of this plant and those found in Sipchu suggest a different genotype found on the gradient between Chapramari and the higher altitude settlements in the foothills. Seed maturity was advanced enough to allow for partial collection and we recovered a decent number of seeds directly from this individual.
These formed the following accession:
Upper Paren Feral Accession #1
Genetics: Kalimpong Range Feral
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Feral
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Upper Paren
District: Kalimpong
Province: West Bengal
Area: Kalimpong Range
Region: Eastern Himalayan Foothills
Appellation: Upper Paren
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: Self seeding
Regional Harvest: June through October
Height: 1–2m
Classification: Feral Cannabis population
While collecting, we were approached by an older resident who advised us not to waste our time on a single roadside plant and instead explore the “upper areas” of the village, where he claimed larger populations and more vigorous individuals could be found. Unfortunately, it was already late in the day and the deteriorating road conditions made further exploration impractical. We departed around 4:30pm, continuing on toward Suruk with plans to return later in the season to complete a more thorough investigation of Upper Paren’s forest margins and upper slopes.
Suruk
Suruk is a high-elevation village located at roughly 850–900m along a narrow ridge facing the upper Jaldhaka valley, with clear views across to Bhutan. It sits at the outer edge of the Kalimpong Range, just before the paved road ends and the Chisang-Todey-Tangta corridor begins. The settlement is spread across steep, terraced slopes bordered by bamboo groves, regenerating forest, and scattered home gardens. Most households grow vegetables and legumes for subsistence, keep small livestock, and cultivate seasonal cash crops like lychee and cardamom.
The resident population is predominantly Tamang and Nepali-speaking. People were welcoming, curious and open to questions. We had a long conversation roadside with older residents who suggested a long-standing history of cultivation as well as the use of feral plants rooted in local traditions.
We located a mixed cannabis stand along the roadside, growing between two household compounds. It covered about 20–30 meters and included both early-seeding feral plants and tall domesticate-type individuals still in early vegetative stage. The feral plants were around 1.5–2m tall with narrow leaflets and upright frames; the domesticate types were taller, with more slender, elongated leaflets and wider internodal spacing. Both types shared a citrus-forward terpene profile, with the strongest individuals giving sharp, clean lemon notes on stem rub.
Seed was collected from the feral individuals growing at the base of the largest domesticate landrace plant, forming the following accession:
Suruk Feral General Population Accession #1
Genetics: Kalimpong Range Feral
Type: Point of Origin, Open Pollinated
Style: Feral
Sourcing: Éloïse, Iza (2025)
Village(s): Suruk
District: Kalimpong
Province: West Bengal
Area: Kalimpong Range
Region: Eastern Himalayan Foothills
Appellation: Suruk
Country: India
Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: February through April
Regional Harvest: June through October
Height: 1.5–3m
Classification: Mixed feral and domesticate population
While collecting, we spoke with a local woman who joked that the plants could make people act crazy , elaborating further she described the “nisha,” (effects) as being very potent and invited us to come back the next day and smoke chillum. She explained that cannabis had long been used in the village and that people still grew it for personal use, though more discreetly than in the past. Others nearby confirmed this, noting a decline in open planting but not in familiarity or use.
We departed just before dusk, continuing toward Todey-Tangta with plans to return after the monsoon to explore the upper slopes in more detail.
Godak
Along the way to Todey, we took a wrong turn and ended up at Godak, a small village separated into two parts: Upper Godak at 1200m and Lower Godak at 1100m, both overlooking the river towards Bindu and Bhutan.
Before realising we had made a wrong turn, we spotted several beautiful patches of domesticate landrace near the roadside. Unfortunately, losing light rapidly and being unsure of our location due to lack of gps coverage - we decided to skip these plants in favour of pushing on to Todey Tangta where we expected to find just as many if not more plants to document. Even so, we took a few photographs of these plants as we turned around and made our way back to the intersection where we determined that we had made a wrong turn.
The first was growing alone on the edge of a structure near the outer perimeter of the property. The second picture is from a patch of several domesticate plants intermixed with a few feral plants on the opposite side of the road, obscured from view and away from the property. Unfortunately, due to our rush, we did not capture the full extent of the patch.
Todey
Todey is one of the last settlements in the valley, located at roughly 1100–1200m elevation and positioned along a narrowing ridge line above the upper Jaldhaka river facing Bhutan. The road becomes progressively degraded beyond Suruk, with access becoming limited to motorcycles and 4WDs, especially during the monsoon. The village overlooks steep valleys on both sides, with visible terraced fields, greenhouses, small orchards and patches of regenerating forest. Households here practice high-elevation horticulture, growing local vegetables, legumes, and cash crops such as lychee and cardamom. The population is predominantly Nepali-speaking, with significant minority populations: Lepcha, Tamang, Rai, Bhutia etc.
Due to heavy rains, deteriorating road conditions and lack of C-form registration forms at the local homestays, we were unable to conduct an extended stay in Todey during this phase. However, informal interviews with residents and observations during a short walk through the village confirmed the continued presence of both cultivated and feral cannabis populations in the area. Several villagers indicated that planting still occurs in upper slope plots, often on land bordering the forest, centered around Tangta and described a locally grown type known for its strong lemon-forward scent and long flowering time.
We were introduced to a conservation-minded local grower (pseudonym: “Joseph”), who has been working to preserve local fruit and vegetable cultivars and reintroduce traditional cultivation practices. He described a history of local cannabis use for both smoking and ritual purposes and offered to guide us to remote stands once monsoon conditions subside. We also discussed potential collaboration on seed preservation and education, with plans to return in the post-monsoon season.
No accessions were made at this time due to limited visibility of mature plants and time constraints. This sector remains a high priority for future visits, given the combination of high elevation, relative isolation, and continuity of cultivation.We were directed to Chisang where we spent the night and early morning.
Chisang
Chisang is a remote, scattered settlement located at approximately 1200–1300m elevation, nestled along the Bhutan border and accessible only by a rugged road continuing upslope from Todey. The village is composed of a small number of homes stretched across forested ridge lines, surrounded by steep terrain, intermittent cultivation and cloud forest vegetation. Infrastructure is limited, with frequent power cuts, poor road access, and minimal public services.
During our brief visit, we were shown a single cultivated cannabis plant kept by a friend of “Joseph,” a conservation-oriented local cultivator from Todey. The plant appeared to be a traditional landrace type but was still in early vegetative development, likely delayed by cold nighttime temperatures and limited sunlight under dense monsoon cloud cover.
In conversation with Joseph and his sons, we were told of a reclusive individual living further upslope in the forest, reputed to grow cannabis in isolation and avoid contact with most of the village. While no contact was made, this testimony points to the persistence of cultivation in isolated micro-regions that remain undocumented. Joseph offered to make introductions on our return.
The next morning, it became clear that the relative clarity of the previous afternoon had been an anomaly. Dense fog, continuous rain, and what locals said would be a multi-day power outages set in again and given the undeveloped phenological stage of most plants plus the logistical constraints, we were unable to carry out any meaningful documentation or seed collection in the area.
We plan to return later in the season when weather conditions stabilise and plant development allows for more comprehensive surveying.
Conclusion
This segment of the Northeast India survey traced the transition from the Teesta River floodplain into the outer ridge lines of the Eastern Himalayas, documenting cannabis populations across a vertical gradient extending from ~150m in the Dooars to over 1800m along the Bhutan border. Across this elevation band, we recorded multiple feral and domesticate populations embedded in varied land use systems: from peri-urban margins and tea estate corridors to steep-slope subsistence zones and forest peripheries.
Feral populations were widespread and morphologically diverse. Individuals ranged from roadside and forest edge colonisers in the Dooars lowlands to mixed-shade foothill populations expressing high citrus and mentholated terpene signatures. Accessions featured narrow-leaflet morphology with upright structure and resin expression even under suboptimal conditions. In Sipchu and Upper Paren, feral stands appeared particularly well-established, suggesting long-term local adaptation and stable reproductive cycling.
Domesticate landrace populations were primarily observed in small household settings, maintained for personal consumption and veterinary use. In Paren and Suruk, intentional cultivation persists in reduced but persistent forms, typically integrated into mixed-use subsistence plots. Informants confirmed ongoing, if discreet, propagation of these plants often citing veterinary utility, cultural continuity, or personal use. These populations are adapted to marginal zones under conditions of low-input management and law enforcement pressure.
While no high-volume commercial plantings were directly observed, we recovered seeds likely originating from such sources and received credible testimony regarding their presence deeper in the forest margins and upland interior. Limitations included seasonal immaturity of plants in higher elevations, lack of C-form registration for foreigners at homestays and monsoon conditions. A planned return post-monsoon will allow follow-up accessions and exploration of the upper corridors between Todey, Tangta and interior Bhutan border zones.
This phase yielded eleven accessions and multiple informal interviews across distinct ecological and cultural subzones. Cannabis cultivation here persists not as an isolated practice but as one strand within a broader patchwork of household economy, rotational agriculture, and plant knowledge. Ongoing documentation in this zone will focus on clarifying genotype distributions along altitudinal gradients, mapping seed exchange networks and tracing the interface between feral escape, active cultivation and the diffuse movement of traits between managed and unmanaged populations.
Following this phase of the survey, we will now shift back toward the Dooars and Bengal lowlands to continue our circuit around the landrace cannabis growing areas of North Bengal.
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