152
REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94.
[APP.
BARODA STATE.
MEMORANDUM.*
Wild ganja.
22. Wild ganja is not to be found in this part of the country. It is neither cultivated
nor does it grow spontaneously in any part of His Highness'
dominions.
Charas.
23. Charas is neither imported nor used by the people of this part of the country. Bawas
and Atits who travel in Northern India sometimes bring
charas with them, which is solely used by them.
Ganja and bhang.
24. When I speak of ganja and bhang, I always mean flat ganja imported from Southern
Maratha Country and bhang purchased in His Highnesse's ter-
ritory or imported from Palanpur.
Chura.
25. Chura is commonly known as garda in this part of the country. It is not imported
in its original form, but assumes it in manipulation and in the
process of packing. It is used in several preparations, of
which I shall speak hereafter.
The names by which the drug is
locally known.
26. The hemp drug is generally known in this part of the country as ganja and bhang.
The consumers of ganja and bhang have given them different
names and they are known by those names in different social
circles.
Cultivation and growth of hemp.
32. In none of the districts of this State does the hemp plant grow spoutaneously. There
is no cultivation, so to say, of the hemp plant in the State ex-
cept in one place, viz., Bhadran of the Petlad taluka. It is
generally from ten to twelve bighas annually.
33. The land adapted for bhang and ganja cultivation is what is called here goradu, a
friable sandy loam. The first operations for cultivation are started in the month of March.
The land is first ploughed generally three or four times and then freely manured with dung of
cattle. When the rains set in and the land is perfectly saturated it is again ploughed and
harrowed. The seeds are then sown from 4 to 5 seers per bigha. When the seedlings grow
to the height of six inches they are rooted out and transplanted on the ridges made for the
purpose There they are allowed to remain for three or four months. During the interval
the weeding process is continued and when the plants commence budding the male plants are
removed, that the female tree may not bear fruits or seeds.
34. When the flowers are well developed the plants are cut and spread on the ground
where they are allowed to remain to be softened by the nocturnal dews.
35. Early in the morning the treading process is carried on till noon, continuing to do so
till the flowers with young tops assume a flat shape.
36. This is the process adopted by the cultivators for manufacturing flat ganja, the older
leaves and fruit vessels being bhang. The yield per bigha of ganja is 8 to 10 maunds and
bhang 8 to 12 maunds.
37. The hemp plant can be grown in any part of His Highness's territory with advantage:
the conditions of climate, soil, rainfall are favourably adapted to the growth of the plant. It
is thus found in the compounds of sadhus, fakirs, and other people who consume ganja or
bhang.
38. It is said that this plant was sown largely in various places. But the restriction
placed by the British Government on exportation obliged the cultivator to give up cultivation.
It is now cultivated in one village, Bhadran, where bhang is made for home consumption. No
narcotic hemp is cultivated either for the production of charas or its flowers and seeds. The
cultivators are an ordinary class of Kunbis.
39. The following is the extent of the cultivation of bhang and its annual yield for the
last six years:—
Years.
Extent in bighas.
Yield in maunds.
1888
6 15 9
60
1889
12 11 13
125
1890
12 17 3
130
1891
1892
0 17 1
10
1893
9 14 6
68
*Extract.