128 REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94.
[APP.
KASHMIR STATE MEMORANDUM.
1. Cultivation of hemp does not prevail in Kashmir.
2. The hemp plant, however, grows spontaneously throughout Kashmir proper.
3. It is abundant in Wantipora, Haripore, and Anantnag tahsils of the Anantnag district,
and in the Nagam tahsil of the Srinagar District, growing on both banks of the river Jhelum
and Arveni and Kaimu nallahs.
4. The growth of wild hemp is ordinarily dense. Almost all wild hemp which is called
Talia in the Punjab, and is generally female plant in the above-mentioned tahsils, is used for
the preparation of ganja locally known by name gard bhang (chura charas).
5. The total quantity of gard bhang annually manufactured in ordinary years is about 70
maunds, but in the year Sambat 1950 the total production of ganja amounted to about 35
maunds, the hemp plant having been considerably damaged by the recent flood.
6. Four hundred maunds of fibre are annually produced, but, for reasons stated above, the
total quantity of fibre in Sambat 1950 amounted to 160 maunds only.
7. Down the city on both banks of the river Jhelam wild hemp known as Kathiya bhang
does not produce gard bhang (chura charas), and it is only used for its fibre and twigs for
burning.
8. About 600 maunds of fibre is annually produced down the river and in the Utarmachi-
pura and Sri Pratap Singhpura tahsils and ilaqa Magan of the Pattan Tahsil and
Khinhama.
9. Zamindars pay to the lessee fixed amount as duty which varies according to the
extent of the growth for the fibre and twigs of the hemp plant growing down the city and in
the tahsils mentioned in paragraph 8.
10. The leaves of the hemp plant are trodden under foot, and cleaned by sieve to prepare
gard bhang, and this process is continued until the leaves are reduced to powder and seeds
separated. This is always done by lessee in Srinagar, where the leaves are brought to undergo
this process of manufacture.
11. Manufacture and sale of gard bhang (chura charas) and fibre are auctioned, and
the highest bid in the current year, Sambat 1950, amounted to Rs. 3,240.
12. The monopoly of sale is practically given to the lessee, who appoints his own men for
retail sale and makes his own arrangements for control of the growth of the wild hemp plant,
the production of the ganja, and for its fibre.
13. The number and sites of retail shops are not fixed, and it is optional for the lessee
to open retail shops at suitable places not objected to by the people according to the require-
ments of the consumers.
14. The maximum quantity for retail sale to, or possession by, the ordinary consumers of
gard bhang is 5 tolas.
15. No minimum price is fixed for " gard bhang," but it is usually sold at 3 pice per
tola.
16. Illicit sale to, and possession of gard bhang by, consumers in excess of the maximum
amount are now generally dealt with on the criminal side under the State Penal Code for
disobedience of rules duly promulgated. The rules are, however, defective and make no
provision for prosecuting a man manufacturing ganja without a license or destroying the wild
hemp plant, or for other similar cases, or binding the lessee to keep up register of produce of
the drugs and sale. Framing of the new rules as more effective preventive measures for such
purposes is under consideration.
17. The illicit sale of the Yarkand charas apparently prevails, but to a very small extent,
as the Yarkand charas is not liked by the Kashmiris, which is the only drug passing through
Kashmir for British India.
18. The drug being usually leased, lessee makes his own arrangements for prevention
of the illicit sale, as he does for the control of the growth of the plant.
The contractor of
duty on custom and octroi also in his own interest has supervision on the Yarkand charas to
see that it passes the country sealed intact, as, if sold in the city, he is entitled to duty on the
same.