Uttarakhand, the first Indian state to legalise commercial hemp cultivation in 2018, has unlocked a crop that thrives in tough terrain, restores depleted soils, and offers diverse products. Hemp provides far higher returns than traditional grains, with farmers now earning ₹1.5 to 3 lakh per acre annually, compared to their earlier earnings of ₹30,000 to 50,000 per acre.