CH. VIII.] REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. 139
believe that in the south-west corner of the province, where the use of bhang is
most prevalent and cultivation is carried on to the extent of about 100 acres, a
considerable share of the locally grown drug escapes excise. Regarding charas
also, it is probable that the figures of retail sale do not represent the full con-
sumption. These considerations do not, however, affect the view of compara-
tive consumption of the two drugs over the province which the Excise Com-
missioner has presented in his memorandum, except possibly that the consump-
tion of bhang in the south-east corner may be larger than is represented.
Extent of use of charas.
368. Taking charas first, it will be seen that its use is most prevalent in the
Ludhiana district, and to a somewhat less degree in
the Himalayan districts, and in and about the cities of
Delhi, Umballa, Amritsar, Lahore, and Peshawar, and that generally the eastern
half of the province has decidedly more inclination to the drug than the western
half. The measure by which the two halves of the province are differentiated
is a consumption of 5 ounces by 100 of population. This measure might be raised
to 6 ounces on account of defective registration of sale, and expressed in the
terms used for Bengal in this report as one maund to 21,500 of the population.
The rate of consumption in Ludhiana is double of this, or one maund in 10,000
and in the greater part of the western half of the province is hardly more than
one maund to 60,000.
Individual consumption of charas.
369. In the North-Western Provinces Mr. Stoker estimated the individual con-
sumption of charas at half a sér per annum. In the
Punjab a somewhat higher rate might be adopted
because the drug is cheaper, the price to consumers ranging from Rs. 4 to Rs. 15
per sér in this province, while in the North-Western Provinces it was Rs. 71/2 to
Rs.25. If the number of consumers be taken at 60 instead of 80 to the maund,
the total number for a total consumption of 1,200 maunds will be 72,000.
The divisions of Delhi, Jullundur, and Lahore consume five times as much
as Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and the Derajat, and there must therefore be 60,000
consumers in the former to 12,000 in the latter. In this comparison also the prov-
ince falls into the same halves as before, for the consumption of the districts of
Montgomery, Multan, and Jhang in the Lahore Division barely reaches 20 maunds,
and does not therefore materially affect the figures.
Extent of use of bhang.
370. The total retail sale of bhang on the average of the last five years is 3,800
maunds. This probably falls considerably short of
the actual consumption owing to the existence of
the wild growth in many districts, the regular cultivation which is carried on in
the south-western districts, and the homestead cultivation which seems to prevail
all over the province to a limited extent. A very appreciable supply must be got
direct from these three sources without the intervention of the licensed vendors.
Maunds 4,200 would represent a supply of one maund to every 5,000 of the po-
pulation. The Excise Commissioner finds that the south-eastern districts have
the heaviest consumption, 100 to 145 oz. to 100 of the population, or about
one maund to 1,000 persons; the central districts come next with about one
maund to 4,000 of the population, and the rest of the province consumes one
maund to about 8,000, except that the districts of Delhi and Ludhiana almost
come up to the districts of heaviest consumption.