CH. VIII.] REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. 129
low throughout the four hill districts of the Chota Nagpur Division, the com-
paratively high rate of Lohardaga being due in all probability to the fact
that Ranchi, the head-quarters of the division, has a considerable population
of foreigners. Manbhum in the Chota Nagpur Division, Bankura and Midna-
pur in the Burdwan Division, and Balasore in Orissa form the skirt of the south-
western hill tract, and are content with one maund of ganja for every 25,000
of the population. There is probably a certain amount of smuggling from the
Hill States into these districts, but it can hardly be sufficient to affect their
character as ganja consumers in the comparison now being made. North-
east and east of Calcutta lies a huge tract of low consumption, comprising the
districts of Noakhali, Khulna, Jessore, Nadia, Backergunge, and Faridpur.
This fact hardly bears out the theory that residence in low-lying country and
river-side life are very intimately connected with the ganja habit. In the
districts situated immediately west and north-west of Calcutta, and in the
Rajshahi Division and in Malda, the consumption is about average. Further
west, in the Patna Division, the consumption falls off.
Area of heavier consumption of
ganja marked off.
340. The province might possibly be divided into two portions so as to indi-
cate consumption above and below the average. A
straight line drawn from Monghyr on the Ganges
to Raipura on the Megna in the Noakhali district, and turned north and east
at the respective ends direct to the frontiers of the province, would mark off
broadly the portion in which consumption exceeds one maund to 15,000 of
the population. It would include all the river population on the Ganges and
Brahmaputra between the two places named. South and west of this line
there would be found only Calcutta, the 24-Parganas, and Puri with consumption
exceeding the above figure.
Incidence of consumption in the
whole population.
341. The consumption of the whole province, including Calcutta, is one
maund to 13,000 of the population, and excluding
Calcutta one maund to 14,000. This maund con-
sists of the drug as issued from the local golas, while the figures of consumption
given by witnesses represent the quantity of the detached pieces of ganja as they
are manipulated for use. Allowing for the waste between the gola and the chillum,
it will be fair to put the consumption at one maund to 16,000 of the population.
Individual consumption of ganja.
342. The Excise Commissioner reports that the average retail price of ganja
is Rs. 20 per sér. It ranges from Rs. 12 in Calcutta,
Patna, Cuttack, and Chittagong to above Rs. 30
in Mymensingh, or from 21/2 annas to more than 6 annas per tola, the average
being 4 annas. It appears from the evidence that 1/16th of a tola is the smallest
quantity that will suffice for one chillum, and that more is required if more than
two or three smokers have to partake of it. That quantity apparently affords
one smoke to two persons, and the refreshment seems to be generally taken
twice a day. For the most moderate habitual smokers, therefore, 1/16 th of a tola
may be taken as the daily allowance. This represents an expenditure of 1/4 anna
a day and a yearly allowance of 23 tolas. But Mr. Gupta reports, and he is
corroborated by the great bulk of the witnesses, that the average allowance is
higher than this, lying between 1/4 anna and 1/2 anna per diem. Accepting this opi-
nion, the daily cost to the moderate consumer may be put at 41/2 pies, and the
33