168
REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. [APP.
JODHPUR STATE MEMORANDUM.
The hemp plant does neither spontaneously nor to any great extent grow in Marwar, but
in a few villages of the parganas of Jodhpur, Bali, Pali, Bilara, Merta, Sojat, Jaitaram, and
Jaswantpura, where both the kharif and rabi crops are produced, the cultivators sow some
seeds of bhang round the fields of onion, coriander, mustard, and "rijka" grass as well as
round the dhurras (passages) of water in the winter season.
The growth of the plant is not controlled, but when it grows up, the leaves are cut down
and dried in the summer season. Some of the seeds, which fall down on the ground at the
harvest time, sprout up in the rainy season; in the beginning of winter they are also dried.
If there happens to be any ganja seed among those of the bhang it also germinates.
When it is cut down it is kept separate, and the produce thus obtained is termed "makuria
ganja," which is chiefly used by Samis and Jogis only, as it is of much inferior quality, and
for the same reason it is not offered for sale.
The cultivation of the plant is neither permitted nor prohibited; the cultivators cultivate
as they have been doing since long; but there are no separate fields of bhang or ganja, and
they do not grow abundantly, and consequently there is neither any system of administration
with regard to these drugs nor any system of restriction and control.
Charas is not at all prepared in this country.
As the local produce of bhang is hardly sufficient to meet the wants of the consumers
this drug, as well as ganja and charas, are imported from other countries.
For the importation of ganja and charas a license is obtained from the Residency office,
but a parwana from the Darbar is sufficient to import bhang.
The Darbar levies custom duties on the import, export, and transit of these drugs, and
they are as given below:—
Import duty
Export duty
Transit duty
per maund.
per maund.
per maund.
Bhang
2 annas.
2 annas.
2 annas.
Ganja
Charas
Rs.
4-8-0.
Rs. 4-8-0.
Rs. 3.
It may be mentioned that from the customs point of view, both ganja and charas are
regarded as one and charged at the same rates.
The Government duty for the importation of ganja is said to be Rs. 2 per maund. The
bhang goes duty free and is chiefly imported from Bhurtpur. Charas is brought from the
contractors of Ajmere, who probably get it from Yarkand and Afghanistan. Ganja is mostly
brought from Indore, and consequently it goes by the name of Indore ganja.
The required figures for the period preceding 1883-84 could not be available, as then
there was no Customs Department, and a contract for the whole custom dues was given. A
separate statement* gives the statistics for the period intervening between 1883-84 and
1892-93, so far as could be obtained from the Customs Department. The appended memo-
randum shows the total income derived thereby.
Name of the drug.
IMPORT.
EXPORT.
TRANSIT.
TOTAL.
Name of the drug.
Quantity.
Duty realized. Quantity. Duty realized. Quantity. Duty realized.
Quantity.
Duty realized.
Md. S. Ch. Rs. A. P. Md. S. Ch. Rs. A. P. Md. S. Ch. Rs. A. P. Md. S. Ch. Rs. A. P.
Bhang
492 3 12
61 8 3 83 38 2
10 8 0
576 1 14 72 0 3
Ganja
Charas
1,734 37 11/2 7,364 5 1 11 31 11 52 3 3 122 36 13 368 11 3 1,869 25 91/2 7,785 3 7
The total duty realized from bhang is Rs. 72-0-3 and that from ganja and charas together
Rs. 7,785-3-7, thus giving on the aggregate a sum of Rs. 7,857-3-10.
With regard to the sale of these drugs, it is to be noted that in the towns of Jodhpur and
Pali, where these drugs are consumed in a comparatively greater degree than in other towns
*Not printed.