130 REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. [CH. VIII
yearly allowance at 35 tolas. In order to frame an estimate of the total number
of consumers who are supplied by the yearly sale of excised ganja, the excess
allowance of excessive consumers has to be added to this figure.
Proportion of excessive con-
sumers of ganja.
343. The following very clear statement on the subject of moderate and
excessive consumption may be quoted from the evid-
ence of Babu Gobind Chandra Das, Deputy Magis-
trate and Collector of Malda:—
"I have taken some statistics on this point. The ganja shop at this town of English-
bazar sells ganja at the rate of Rs. 20 a sér. I enquired of a large number of persons who
come to purchase ganja at this shop as to their daily consumption of their drug. Alto-
gether 378 persons were examined. Of these, 247 persons stated that they spent a pice
(1/4 anna) a day on this drug, 106 persons gave 2 pice (1/2 anna) as their daily expenditure on
ganja, whilst only 13, 7, 1, 3, and 1 stated their daily consumption to be 3 (3/4 anna), 4
(1 anna), 5 (11/4 annas), 8 (2 annas), and 10 (21/2 annas) pice respectively. I am sure most of
these men understated their consumption to a very considerable extent. But looking to
the fact that purchasers of ganja are not the only persons who consume the drug, and that
a large number of persons who consume ganja do so at the expense of their richer com-
panions, I think it is safe to say that the majority of ganja smokers do not spend more than
two pice (1/2 anna) a day upon ganja. The retail price of ganja in this district is about Rs.
20, so that two pice (1/2 anna) can fetch a man only 1/8th tola of ganja. This is not sufficient
for more than three chillums. I think it cannot be considered as excessive. On this
datum it can be said that the majority of the ganja smokers are moderate consumers. As
regards occasional consumers, all that can be said is that their number is extremely small.
In fact, it is impossible for a man to consume even a pretty large quantity unless he is a
habitual consumer and has kept up the habit by daily use."
This estimate of daily moderate consumption is rather higher than has
been adopted above on consideration of all the available evidence; but the
witness's general conclusions appear to be sound. The extremely small proportion
of excessive consumers is corroborated by many witnesses who have devoted
care and thought to the question, though it falls below the estimate of the
bulk of those who have contented themselves with simply putting down their
opinions in figures without discussion or comment. The witness quoted does not
make special mention in this place of the religious classes. He states elsewhere
(answer 20) that the number of a special class of them in his district is about I
in 100 souls, which is not a small proportion. The addition of the other classes
of religious ascetics and mendicants will give a considerably higher ratio, and
the district will then have a full average proportion of these people. They have
probably therefore entered into the enquiries and calculations of the witness
which may be accepted as fairly representative of all classes of consumers,
including that which is notorious for excessive use of the hemp drugs.
The standard of average moder-
ate consumption of ganja.
344. The excessive consumers then must be regarded as bearing but a small
proportion to the moderate—certainly not more than
5 per cent., or 1 to 20. And this accords with reason,
for the bulk of the consumers of ganja are poor and
cannot afford over-indulgence in a luxury which, in Bengal at all events, is not
cheap. The yearly consumption of a moderate individual has been estimated at
35 tolas, and distributing the excess amount taken by immoderate users over
the whole number of consumers, the individual allowance for a year may be put
at 40 tolas, which is half a sér or one-eightieth of a maund. By this measure