248
Details of Cultivation of Hemp Drugs (Bhang) in
the Jacobabad Taluka.
YEAR.
ABEA. UNDER CULTIVATION.
A.
G.
1873–74
2
22
1874–75 . .
.
.
. 4
0
1875–76 .
.
.
.
. 1
4
1876–77 .
.
.
.
2
24
1877–78 .
.
.
.
0
1
1878–79
No details
available.
1879–80 .
.
.
.
.
0
6
1880–81
0
0
Details not available from 1881-82 to 1883-84,¶
and there was no cultivation in 1884-85 to 1892-
¶
93.
Note.—For Shabadadpur taluka no details avail
- ¶
able, and no hemp was sown in 1883-84 to 1892
- ¶
93. This taluka was amalgamated with this dis
- ¶
trict in 1883-84 ; prior to it, it formed part of the
¶ Shikarpur district.
8. There being no considerable increase or
¶
decrease, no explanation is required.
9. There are two methods for the cultivation
o f ¶
hemp. In the lands subject to the natural flow o f ¶
river water, land is first flooded, seed is put down
¶
broadcast and is then ploughed. The other method
¶
is more elaborate and produces good and substan
- ¶
tial crop. The land is first ploughed once or twice,¶
roller is passed over it, and ridges are prepared in
¶
which seed is put down like tobacco or other
¶
vegetable crop. When the plants and seed become
¶
ripe, they are cut down just above the roots and
¶
are allowed to dry intact.
10. No. The persons who cultivate hemp for
¶
its narcotic properties belong to the classes of
¶
ordinary agricultural cultivators.
11 and 12. Do not know.
13. The hemp plant is not cultivated in this
¶
district for the production of ganja, as ganja is
¶
rarely used in this district. Do not know.
14. (a) and ( b ) No.
¶
(c) Yes. For details of this district kindly see
¶
paragraph 7. I have no details for other districts
¶
in the province of Sind.
15. The methods of the preparation of (a) ganja,
¶
(b) charas, (c) bhang, are given in Appendix B.
¶
There is no difference in the method of prepara-
¶
tion of bhang from the cultivated and the wild
¶
plant. I do not believe there can be any difference
¶
in the preparations of charas and ganja from the
¶
cultivated and the wild plant ; but as these two
¶
preparations are not manufactured in this country,
¶
Iam not able to give my opinion. The methods
¶
of its preparations for smoking, eating and drink-
¶
ing are given in Appendices A and B.
16. Bhang is generally prepared by the people
¶
in their houses. It can be prepared from the hemp
¶ plant wherever it is grown, as the process of its
¶
preparation is very simple, as given in Appendix
¶
B. I do not know whether ganja and charas can
¶
be prepared from the wild plant wherever it
¶
grows.
17. The preparations o-E the hemp drug, viz.,
¶
bhang, charas, and ganja are made either by the
¶
persons who cultivate the plant or by the con-
¶
tractors who buy the standing crop. But majums
¶
are prepared by native physicians or by those who
¶
know the components required for their prepar-
¶
ation.
18. Bhang in the form of ghundis, ganja and
¶
charas keep good for two or three years if care-
¶
fully kept within a building secure from weather
¶
a n d e x p o s u r e t o s u n . a n d r a i n ; a n d a l s o f r o m ¶
attacks of beetles and other insects. If exposed
¶
to sun, weather or rain, or attacked by insects,
¶
these drugs, especially bhang and ganja, deteriorate
¶
in the course of a year. Bhang chur or kúto
¶
deteriorates in the course of one year under all
¶
circumstances.
19. In the province of Sind, charas is used for
¶
smoking only. Ganja is not smoked by natives
¶
of Sind ; it is smoked by up-country people,
¶
specially fakirs, jogis and sadhus.
20. Natives of Sind rarely smoke ganja, and
¶
when I made inquiries lately from the farmer of
¶
these drugs in Jacobabad and Sukkur they said
¶
they had no ganja for sale, as it was not used by
¶
Sindhis. In Shikarpur also I could not get even
¶
a sample of it.
In the towns of
— ¶
Jacobabad,
¶
Shikarpur Charas—Hindu adults 6 per cent.
¶
Sukk
o
u r a n d ¶
Rohri ,, Mussalmans 9 do.
¶
In other outlying villages
— ¶
Charas—Hindus 4 per cent.
¶
,, Mussalimans 6 do.
¶
21. Do not know, as ganja is not smoked in
¶
this country.
22. Foreign charas is chiefly used, which is
¶
imported from Yarkand and Afghanistan t
o ¶
Amritsar and Lahore and from there it is imported
¶
into Sind. Charas is also manufactured in the
¶
Khairpur State, but its import is prohibited.
23. It is very rarely smoked by the natives of
¶
Sind.
24. Bhang is rarely eaten by the natives of
¶
Sind ; when any one has got no water and its
¶
grinding materials, it is eaten to gratify the
¶
cravings of habit. In the Frontier and Shikar-
¶
pur districts all classes drink bhang in the hot
¶
season to a large extent as a cooling and refresh-
¶
ing drink, specially the lower classes of people who
¶
cannot afford to buy syrups. In the hot season
¶
in places like Shikarpur, Sukkur, Rohri, Jacob-
¶
abad, about 50 per cent. adult Hindus and 15
¶
per cent. adult Mussalmans; in the cold season
¶
only habitual consumers drink it, who are 25 per
¶
cent. adult Hindus and 10 per cent. adult Mussal-
¶
mans. Hindus consider bhang to be a holy plant,
¶
as it was patronized, some say, by "Shiva" and
¶
some say, by "Mahadevi" and call it "Shivaji
" ¶
or "Mahadaiji" buti. In almost all the tikanas
¶
(places of worship) large earthen pots of its thin
¶
watery preparations are kept full for the use of
¶
the visitors and passers-by in the hot season, and
¶
the preparation is called "sukho," and by Mussal-
¶
mans "Aho," which is drunk even by boys and
¶
girls
cooling
account of its coolin and refreshing
¶
effects. The cost of the bhang is borne from the
¶
Panchayat Funds. In the outlying villages in
¶
the hot season about 30 per cent. adult Hindus
¶
and 10 per cent. adult Mussalmans drink bhang.
¶
This decrease is due to difficulties in the way of
¶
getting the drug, as shops for its sale are not
¶
kept in every village. In the cold season the
¶
number of Hindus may be 15 per cent. and of
¶
Mussalmans 7 per cent. The difference is due to
¶
occasional drinkers in the hot season.
25. The increase and decrease in the use of these
¶
drugs is generally fluctuating and is at present
¶
stationary on account of high prices at which they
¶
are sold. The rates at which charas and bhang
¶
are sold are given below :
—
(1) Charas—Rs. 10-0-0 per pound of 40 tolas.
(2) Bhang—Rs. 0-10-0 ,, ,, ,, ,, ,,