MYSORE MEMORANDUM.
135
MEMORANDUM ON GANJA IN MYSORE BY MR. L. RICKETTS, EXCISE
COMMISSIONER.
What variety of Indian hemp is
utilized for ganja in Mysore?
1. The species of Indian hemp which is in use in the Mysore Province, under the appel-
lation of "ganja" in Hindustani, or "Bangi-soppu" in
Kanarese, is what is generally known as the Cannabis saliva of
Linn. The plant is cut during inflorescence with the resin
carefully preserved on the leaves, dried and made into bundles.
Cultivation of Indian hemp restricted.
2. The cultivation of the above hemp in Mysore is forbidden except under a free license
granted by the Deputy Commissioner of the district on condi-
tion that, within one month after the preparation of ganja,
the latter shall be sold to the licensed ganja contractor at a fair valuation, or exported under
the Deputy Commissioner's pass, and that the licensee may, if he so desires, retain for his own
private consumption ganja not exceeding 14 lbs., provided that the area of the land cultivated
with hemp is not less than one acre. Except in three or four small plots of land in which the
licensed cultivators failed from inexperience to make proper ganja, no attempt has been made
by any one to grow the hemp in this province, evidently owing to the cultivators of land being
ignorant as to the stage of growth when the plants should be cut so as to be fit for ganja.
Therefore the ganja required for consumption in this province is imported from the Madras
Presidency. Wild hemp is nowhere found in this province. Self-sown hemp is occasionally
to be met with in gardens and backyards of native houses; but when found they are immedi-
ately uprooted and destroyed.
What admixtures of ganja are in
use, and mode of preparation?
3. Besides the pure ganja, the only preparations of it generally used and recognized in
this province are majum and halva. Majum is a condiment
made with ganja powder and other materials in the following
proportions:—
By weight.
Ganja powder
20 seers.
Poppy-seeds
10
"
Dalchini (cinnamon) and anise-seed
6
"
Jaggery
2 maunds.
Ghee
3¾ seers.
The ganja powder is put into syrup made of jaggery and water and boiled. The mixture
is then boiled with ghee and the other ingredients above referred to to form what is called
majum. Halva is also a condiment prepared from the expressed juice of ganja powder boiled
in water. In the liquid so obtained, sugar is dissolved and mixed with almonds, plums, cloves,
nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamoms, anise-seed, and other spices.
System under which ganja revenue
is raised.
Import of drugs.
4. The system under which the revenue from ganja is derived by the Darbar is the
minimum guarantee system, under which the sole monopoly
of the wholesale vend of ganja for the whole province,
exclusive of the Civil and Military Station of Bangalore, is given out on contract
for fixed periods, on condition that the contractor of the wholesale vend shall
guarantee to the Darbar that the duty payable by him on the wholesale vend of
ganja and majum at the prescribed rates shall not be less than the amount guaranteed by
him per annum; that he shall sell drugs only to licensed vendors; that the drugs sold shall be
of good quality; that he shall always keep on hand not less than one month's supply at each
wholesale shop and two months' stock at the provincial head-quarters depôt at Bangalore; that
he shall carefully account for all receipts and expenditure of the drugs; and that disorderly
conduct and irregular transactions at wholesale shops shall be
strictly prohibited. As the hemp is practically not cultivated
in this province, as explained in paragraph 2 above, the contractor is permitted to import the
supplies of ganja from the Madras Presidency. The bulk of ganja consumed in this province
is obtained by him from the North Arcot district of the Madras Presidency at an average cost
of 2 annas per seer. No modifications in the present system are under contemplation.
Rates of duty.
5. The rates of duty payable to the Darbar on the wholesale vend of ganja and majum
are as follows:—
As.
Ganja per seer of 24 tolas
6
Majum or any other preparation of ganja except halva per seer of 24 tolas
2
No duty is levied on halva.