NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCES AND OUDH MEMORANDUM.
33
even complete figures for 1890-91 were not always available. Hence the fragmentary charac-
ter of the details in columns 11 to 18 of the tabular statement required by the Commission.
Even such figures as are available in the years anterior to 1891-92 must be received with
caution, as I am not confident that allowance has been made for transfers from district to
district, and there is much risk that the same drugs may have been counted twice and the
provincial total thus exaggerated. More accurate figures and for a longer period could be
furnished to show the total imports of ganja from Lower Bengal and the Central Provinces.
But in the absence of correct information from the other sources of supply these are useless
as an indication of the Provincial consumption. The official returns of bhang are peculiarly
apt to be misleading. They give the imports and exports district by district, and, as bhang
is moved a good deal about the provinces, there has been considerable opportunity for error
as long as no regular register and return of the consignments was maintained. Moreover,
these statistics can take no account of the bhang consumed in districts where it is grown. In
the case of untaxed bhang this must always happen, and I doubt if any system of registration
will secure very accurate returns of even the bhang which passes through the licensed dealers'
hands.
The trade returns are of little value. An attempt to utilize them has shown that much
of the imports and transports follow routes by which they escape registration.
37. The special enquiries which were made in 1881-82 give the amount of imported ganja
to be approximately 4,451 maunds. The later and I think more trustworthy returns show a
total import of 4,935 maunds in 1890-91 and 4,187 maunds in 1891-92.
The imports of charas are similarly shown to be 1,135 maunds in 1881-82, 1,091 maunds
in 1886-87, and 1,286 maunds in 1887-88. For 1890-91 the returns show maunds 1,133-30-9
and for 1891-92 maunds 1,217-4-12.
Collating these figures, it might be reasonable to assume that the imports of ganja are
between 4,000 maunds and 4,500 maunds yearly and the imports of charas between 1,100
maunds and 1,200 maunds.
These figures, however, exaggerate the actual consumption because, besides other reasons,
there is good deal of waste. Both ganja and charas deteriorate by keeping and considerable
quantities become useless from this cause. On the other hand there is a certain consumption
of locally-grown drugs of both kinds which cannot be ascertained.
38. The average consumption per head of ganja is estimated by Babu Hem Chander Kerr
at 1½ seers per annum. This appears to me a very high estimate. In the case of baluchar
retailed at 6 annas per tola it would mean for an ordinary consumer an outlay of Rs. 45 per
annum, a quite impossible figure. Ganja is generally smoked in company, and a pice worth
will go round two, three, or more people. It is also smoked several times a day. I should
put two pice a day or Rs. 11-6-6 per annum as the maximum possible per head. This would
represent less than half a seer yearly in the case of baluchar. On the other hand, baluchar
sells for half the price in the villages, though consumption there is relatively much smaller.
Pathar sells for one anna or half an anna a tola, but more of it is used in each pipe. Two
pice worth a day of this would represent about 41/2 seers yearly at the latter, and 21/4 seers at the
former price. Taking one thing with another and averaging all sorts of ganja, I should
think a seer a head would be about the amount annually consumed by those who habitually
indulge in the drug. This would give 180,000 consumers for the 4,500 maunds imported, if
it were all used.
My observations go to show that those who use ganja and charas indulge in them habi-
tually and regularly. The craving is perhaps not so dominant and the abandonment not so
difficult as in the case of opium. But where they can be procured, they are, as a rule, regular-
ly taken. This is not the case with bhang.
39. Concerning the average consumption of charas, I have received most conflicting
statements. But every one agrees that a much smaller quantity of it makes a dose. I should
say half a seer per head yearly would be a fair estimate. That would represent 92,000 con-
sumers of the 1,150 maunds imported.
These figures are on the basis of habitual consumption and would be susceptible of increase
if there were many occasional consumers. But on the other hand considerable abatement
must be made for drugs imported, but not consumed. I submit these calculations with much
diffidence, for I am aware that anything like absolute accuracy is unattainable. They are
framed on the highest scale, and would show that even so computed only a very small propor-
tion of the population is addicted to the use of these drugs.
40. The use of bhang is much more general. It is also much more harmless or even
positively beneficial. I am informed that in Bengal Dr. Prain has pronounced bhang to be
more harmful than ganja. I have not been favoured with a copy of his report, and so I can-
not examine his reasons, which may be peculiar to Bengal. But I can affirm with much con-
fidence, as the result of repeated enquiries, both official and private, and of personal observations
extending over many years, that bhang as used in these provinces is not only the least harmful
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