105
62. I think that the cultivation of the hemp
plant for the production of bhang is sufficiently
controlled.
63. As regards the answer to this query, I beg
to invite a reference to the answer given by me to
question No. 59—vide the latter portion of it.
64. I think that there is no objection to the
existing regulations governing the export and
import of these drugs or of their preparations ex
-
cept that the proposal made by me in answer to
query No. 59 should, if deemed fit, be adopted, by
which I am humbly of opinion a greater check
will certainly be exercised over the hemp plant
than at present.
65. I am humbly of opinion that the taxation of
(1) ganja, (2) charas, and (3) bhang is certainly
reasonable with reference (a) to each other, and (b)
to alcoholic or other intoxicants. The consumers
of alcoholic and other intoxicants are far more in
number if compared with those who use ganja
and its various preparations, they being cheaper
than the above two intoxicants, viz., opium and
liquor, and less intoxicating in their effects. I
think the taxation of these drugs is reasonable as
compared with other intoxicants. It is the poor
only who use it, and if the duty is raised thereon
the poor would not be able to get any other cheaper
intoxicant as a substitute.
66. I am of opinion that there need not be differ
-
ent rates of taxation for different kinds of ganja,
such as the flat or round ganja grown in different
localities. The present rates of taxation are suff
i -
cient for them. I am unable to say anything
about the broken ganja produced in Bengal.
67. I am of opinion that there is no objection
to the present method of taxing ganja and bhang
being continued. The present system is good and
agreeable to the consumers.
68. There are no houses or shops licensed in this
district for consumption of any of these drugs on
the premises.
69. The wishes of the people are first consulted
or considered by the Collector before permission is
granted, if deemed necessary, to open a shop in
any locality. For this purpose, application bearing
the signatures of the residents in a locality is sub
-
mitted to the Collector, who sends it for enquiry
and report to the taluka mamlatdar and Abkari
Inspector, who if report favourably to the wishes
of the people, permission is granted. The local
public opinion must necessarily be obtained in each
case.
70. The production of the hemp plant being
abundant in this district, there is no importation
or smuggling of hemp drugs from Native States.
48. Evidence of KHAN SAHIB NASARVANJI EDALJI SETHNA, Parsi, Abkari Inspector
,
Satara.
1.I am Abkari Inspector, and as such, in the
execution of my duties, I have had opportunities of
obtaining information regarding hemp drugs.
2.The definition of the word ganja, as given in
the question, is accepted for this district (Satara).
But charas and bhang being not exactly what they
are meant in the definitions, I define them sepa
-
rately as they are known here.
Charas is the name applied to the resinous
exudation which, emanating from the ganja tops
and the leaves and small buds at the time of har
-
vesting, sticks to the palm and fingers of the
hands. This exudation is then scraped off the
hands and turned into pills.
Bhang, otherwise called garda, is the powdered
dust and leaves which are separated from the
ganja, when it undergoes the process of winnow
-
ing, and also the powder produced by the handling
of ganja subsequently.
Only one kind of ganja is sold here, and that is
flat ganja. It is manufactured by being trodden
under foot, so that the flower tops assume a flat
-
tened shape. Neither the round ganja nor the
broken ganja is known in this district.
3. I do not know of any districts in Guzerat or
Deccan where the hemp plant grows spontaneous
ly. It does not grow spontaneously in Kaira and
Satara.
4 . T h e w i l d p l a n t i s n o t k n o w n h e r e .
5. As wild hemp does not grow here, the special
conditions of climate, etc., are not known.
6. As wild hemp does not grow here, I cannot
say if the growth is dense or scattered.
7. Hemp plant is cultivated for production of
ganja in the Satara district. About 300 acres of
land were under cultivation during 1892-93. It
is not cultivated for production of charas or for
use as bhang or for its fibre or seeds.
vol. vii.
8. I do not find any considerable increase or de
-
crease in the area under cultivation. The amount
of cultivation is almost in the same state in which
it has been for some time.
9. After the soil is manured and ploughed, the
seed is sown with the usual three-drilled imple
-
ment, one drill of which is, however, used. The
seed used is the Ahmednagar seed, as the cultiva
-
tors prefer this to the Satara seed, the crops raised
from the latter seed being more subject to blight
than those raised from the Ahmednagar seed.
The seed is sown in the month of Ashad (July-
August), and it is required at the rate of 1½ to 2
seers (capacity measure) per acre of land. About
a week after the date of sowing young plants be
-
g i n t o s h o w , a n d i n t h e s e c o n d w e e k t h e c u l t i v a t o r
removes sickly plants and those which are very
close, one inch of space being allowed between any
two plants. By the end of three weeks the plants
stand about a foot high, when the cultivator re
-
moves the weeds and clears the space between the
rows. About a month after the sowing the plants
are about 18 inches high. The plants are then
examined by an expert, who readily detects and
removes such plants as are likely to be affected by
blight. Each plant is examined once a week. If
the rainfall has been timely and sufficient, two
more waterings are necessary before the crop is
ready for harvesting. Otherwise the crop is wa
-
tered three times, and so arranged that the last
watering takes place about 14 days before harvest
-
ing. The crop is then harvested in the month of
Kartick (November).
10. Hemp cultivators, for its narcotic properties,
do not form a special class. They belong to the
original agricultural class.
1 1 . N o .
12. I am not aware of any districts in which
the wild hemp is specially cultivated for the pro
duction of ganja.