CH. VIII.] REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. 135
Kuch Behar.
352. The statistics furnished by the Kuch Behar State show an average retail
sale of 76 maunds, which by the standard of the
province should supply 6,000 consumers, or more
than 1 per cent. of the population. The consumption seems to be stationary,
though there is a gradual decrease of retail sale in the last three years.
Tributary States of Chota Nag-
pur and Orissa and Hill Tippera.
353. There are no means whatever of judging of the extent of use in
these States.
North-Western Provinces.
The use of the three forms of the
drug in various parts.
354. In the North-Western Provinces all three drugs—ganja, charas, and
bhang—are very largely consumed. Bhang is used
everywhere, and there is no evidence to show that
the use is more common in one part of the province
than another, if the Kumaon Division be excepted. It would appear that in the
mountains the drug is only drunk or eaten in the form of majum by a few well-to-
do people in the towns at the Holi festival. But the consumption is heavy in
particular spots, such as Mathra, the home of the Chaubes, who appear to be the
greatest and most notorious bhang drinkers in the whole of India, and Benares and
other holy places on the Ganges. With regard to ganja and charas, the province
may be divided into three parts. In the western portion, consisting of the divisions
of Meerut, Rohilkhand, and Kumaon, ganja is hardly used at all. The statistics
show no imports except at Shahjahanpur, which is on the extreme east of this
section of the province. The drug in favour here is charas to the exclusion of
ganja. In the eastern and southern portion, comprising the divisions of Benares,
Gorakhpur, Allahabad, and great part of Fyzabad, ganja holds the field, though
not to the exclusion of charas, except in the districts bordering on Bundelkhand.
In the central portion of the province, comprising the Agra and Lucknow Divisions
and part of the Allahabad and Fyzabad Divisions, both drugs seem to be freely
consumed.
Consumption compared with
population of ganja.
355. In dealing with the trade of the province, the figure of imports of ganja
given in the statistics was accepted in full view of Mr.
Stoker's caution that it was not reliable, and his esti-
mate that the import was between 4,000 and 4,500 maunds. For the present pur-
pose the same figure, though in excess of Mr. Stoker's figure, may be taken; for
it is necessary to include the local unexcised ganja, which no doubt comes into use
in some quantity. In Bengal but small allowance was made for waste, and since
figures of sale to retail vendors were supplied, only the waste which took place
between the local gola and the chillum had to be considered. In dealing with
the drug in the state in which it is imported, and with an import the
greater part of which consists of an article which is less carefully prepared
and far less valuable than Bengal ganja, a much higher allowance for waste must
be made. Taking all things into consideration, it is doubtful if the consumption
can be fairly fixed at more than 3,500 maunds. The North-Western Provinces
give no figures of retail sale to aid this calculation. The total population of the
province is 47,000,000 and one maund of ganja therefore suffices for some
13,000 persons. If the population of the divisions of Meerut, Rohilkhand, and
Kumaon, where ganja is not used, be deducted (about 12,000,000), the maund
of ganja suffices for only 10,000 persons. Judged by the Bengal standard, this
is a high figure; but the cheapness and comparative weakness of the greater