116 REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. [CH. VII.
its being used by the hemp cultivators of Hyderabad, the Berars, Bombay, and
Indore. There is some smuggling of ganja from the Native States on the borders
of the province, but it does not seem to be considerable enough to materially
affect the licensed trade. Bhang is imported from Central India to the extent of
about 10 maunds for the use principally of Marwari traders. It is difficult to
believe that the leaves of the hemp cultivated at Khandwa and the fragments
from ganja manufacture do not pass into use as bhang; but there is no evidence
that they do. The Excise Commissioner thinks that the high maximum (20
tolas) for legal possession of bhang affects the licensed import by enabling
consumers who travel to bring in the drug for themselves.
"Considerable
quantities," he says, "are introduced by post also."
Feudatory States, | Central Prov-
inces.
305. The Feudatory States and some zamindaris administer their own excise.
These are all under engagement to buy their ganja
from British wholesale vendors. Their imports are
steadily growing, and amounted in 1892-93 to 273 maunds (paragraph 66, Excise
Memorandum). Khairagarh and Sonepur alone have sent reports, and they show
that their imports are increasing, and are now over 20 maunds each. None of them
apparently exports any ganja, though from the position of some of them on the
frontier, and the presumably superior quality of Khandwa ganja over that of
ganja yielded by ruder methods of cultivation, they might have been expected
to do so. But the Native States and Madras zamindaris beyond the frontier all
more or less grow their own ganja, and the Dewan of the Sonepur State says
that the locally grown article is preferred. There may, however, be some
petty export to the Chota Nagpur States, for the British authorities of that divi-
sion have succeeded in restricting cultivation in them.
Madras.
306. The Excise memorandum and the statistics give no information about
the imports and exports of ganja or the quantity pro-
duced in the Presidency. Of the other forms of the
raw drugs, charas does not appear to be used, and bhang is but rarely recog-
nised as a distinct article from ganja. Of these, therefore, nothing need be said
in the present connection.
Probable amount of ganja pro-
duced.
307. In order to form an idea of the extent of the traffic in ganja, it is necessary
to hazard an estimate of the outturn of the cultiva-
tion throughout the Presidency. The area has been
estimated at 350 acres of regular cultivation, to which must be added the cultiva-
tion of the homestead and desultory kind. The Bengal Excise Report of 1892-93,
page 36, gives the average outturn per bigha as 31/5 maunds, or something less
than 10 maunds an acre. In the Central Provinces it appeared to be much the
same figure. Mr. Benson, when giving evidence orally, said that the people of
North Arcot and Kistna had both told him that the crop came out about 420 lbs.,
or 51/4 maunds to the acre, but he had not been able to test the statement. Except
the fact that a higher outturn is got in the Ganja Mahal and at Khandwa, there
is no apparent reason why this should be regarded as an unduly low estimate.
For the reason stated, however, it may be raised to 6 maunds. And it will be
proper to add one maund for the fragments from the manufacture which go to
make bhang. The 350 acres of regular cultivation would at this rate, 7 maunds
per acre, yield 2,450 maunds. The less systematic cultivation, accompanied by