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REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94.
[APP.
COORG MEMORANDUM.
The answers refer to ganja, which is called indifferently in Coorg, ganja or bhang.
Charas is unknown.
Only one system in the small province of Coorg.
The Commissioner of the province is head of the Excise.
Two Inspectors of Excise and six other officials under the Commissioner.
On Act No. XXII of 1881, an Act to amend the law relating to Excise Revenue in
Northern India, British Burma, and Coorg. On the rules framed in conformity with
sections 11, 12, 20, and 55 of that Act, sanctioned by the Chief Commissioner of Coorg as the
chief revenue authority in the province, having effect from 19th May 1882.
I am doubtful whether wild hemp is actually found, but hemp springs up in the coffee
near cooly lines and near the huts of the wild tribes and no one owns to its cultivation.
A cooly in weeding the coffee will try to avoid pulling up the plant unless his master happens
to be looking.
Impossible to say with any degree of accuracy, but as the contractor has not complained,
and I have had no complaints from planters as to their coolies being stupefied by the drug, pro-
bably to a very limited extent indeed.
No attempt has been made to control the possession of such drug. If its sale was at-
tempted to any extent, it would come to the ears of the licensed vendor, and the seller would
be prosecuted, but I have heard of no such cases.
Cultivation not prohibited, but a license must be taken out first. As a matter of a fact,
however, hemp is not cultivated in the province.
To none, if a license is asked and given, but, as already stated, the plant is not cultivated
in Coorg.
No ryot or other person is allowed to cultivate hemp without a license from the Parpattegar;
the Excise and village officers would report any such case. There have been a few prosecu-
tions of people for growing a few plants of hemp near their huts in the last two or three
years. This has checked the practice somewhat.
Only one-the contractor.
If a ryot did cultivate for export, he would have to obtain a special pass under rule 33,
but no such case has occurred. The contractor, being the sole importer, makes his own
arrangements for the import, storing, and transport of the drug. For the import a license is re-
quired.
Licenses are granted by the farmer, who is the wholesale vendor and has to keep accounts:
the retail vendors are selected by the farmer, but must be approved by the Commissioner, who
countersigns the licenses. They are visiied by the Excise officers, accounts inspected, and
fortnightly returns of results reported. License holders can sell for ready money only and not
more than 1/4 of a seer of ganja and 5 tolas of majum.
There is no tax on ganja and other hemp drugs. The right to procure and sell ganja
is leased out for 3 years to the farmer whose tender has been approved of. If the contractor
fails to pay on the appointed dates the instalments due, the contract is liable to be cancelled.
Besides the contract amount a fee of one rupee per mensem for each shop at Mercara and Vira-
jendrapett, and of annas 8 in other places is paid.
No special precautions against evasions are taken; the vendors who have licensed shops,
even if any unlicensed shops escaped the notice of the officials, would at once bring the matter
to the notice of the Excise Department.
One shop has been allowed to each of the 6 taluks or sub-divisions of Coorg except to the
Nanjarajpatana Taluk, in which there are two, one at head-quarters and one in the municipal
town of Somvarpett. No local option is recognized. At the same time the Commissioner
would never sanction the opening of a shop unless the inhabitants either petitioned for it
or were willing to have it.
No, the contractor makes his own arrangements.
He sells at from 10 to 12 annas a seer to the retail vendors, and they sell at from 14
annas to one rupee to the public.