PUNJAB MEMORANDUM.
51
bhang, are those in which the Sikh element is strongest. The Sikh population of the province
being 1,389,934, these four districts contribute 781,439 towards this total. It seems likely
that the prohibition amongst the Sikhs of tobacco-smoking has a good deal to do with their
preference for the drug in a liquid state.
This question of the distribution of consumption according to locality, religion, caste,
&c., is one that will, no doubt, receive a great deal of attention from the Commission, and it
seems unnecessary in this memorandum to do more than indicate the general features. An-
nexed to the memorandum will be found two maps showing the consumption of charas and of
bhang separately by districts in the year 1890-91, and these will serve to illustrate the above
remarks. It will be seen that, roughly speaking, as regards the use of charas the province
divides itself into two parts—the eastern districts, in which the consumption exceeds 5 oz. per
100 of the population, and the western districts, in which the average consumption is less than
this. As regards bhang, on the other hand, the districts fall into 3 groups:—(1) the south-
western districts, in which the consumption exceeds 40 oz. per 100 of population; (2) the
central districts, in which it averages between 20 and 40 oz.; and (3) the northern and eastern
districts, in which it is less than 20 oz.
Points enumerated in Secretary to
Commission's letter.
14. I will now take the special points mentioned in the note annexed to the Secretary,
Indian Hemp Drugs Commission's letter in detail.
(a) The system in the Punjab is uniform. The arrangements are under the control in
due gradation of (1) the Financial Commissioner, (2) Divisional Commissioners
and the Commissioner of Excise, and (3) Deputy Commissioners, the actual admi-
nistration in each district being in the hands of the Deputy Commissioners. The
Act is the Excise Act (XXII) of 1881, and the rules are those which will be found
at page 107 of the Punjab Excise Pamphlet.
(b) It is not possible to give any estimate of the extent to which the wild hemp plant
grows. It is a mere weed, and cannot be said to cover any particular area, as it is
scattered about. So much is taken in the form of bhang as is required for the
consumption in our districts (4,000 maunds of dried leaves) and in the Punjab
Native States, and the remainder is probably allowed to die down. The dry stalks
are sometimes, I believe, used for fuel. No preparation of any sort is extracted
from the plant. The manner in which the transport and sale of bhang are con-
trolled has been already described. With regard to possession, section 22 of the
Excise Act prevents any one other than a dealer from having in his possession
more than ¼ of a seer; but, so far as I am aware, there is now nothing to prevent
a person within this limit from collecting and using the leaves of the plant. He
could not sell bhang. The Commission might usefully refer to Financial Com-
missioner's Circular No. 3, dated January 1882, in which the system is explained.
(c) With reference to the above, it will be evident that the necessity for cultivating
the hemp plant for the production of bhang as a marketable commodity scarcely
arises. A few patches of the plant are grown in the Mooltan, Dera Ghazi Khan,
Dera Ismail Khan, Shahpur, and Bannu districts, but the total area is probably
less than 100 acres. There is no restriction on or regulation of cultivation; and,
so far as I can see, there is nothing to prevent a person who grows the crop from
using the produce as an intoxicant, provided he is not at any time in possession of
more than the quantity allowed by the Act. Where the plant is grown the object
is to provide for private consumption. Manufacture of any of the "preparations"
is unknown in the Punjab. I may add that I proposed in 1890 either to prohibit
the cultivation entirely or to impose an acreage duty that would be prohibitive.
No notice has been taken by higher authority of the proposal. It will be easy at
the present time to deal with the cultivation and to stamp it out, while there
is the danger that, if we adopt measures which will restrict the supply and enhance
the price of bhang, the result of these measures may be to encourage the cultiva-
tion. It has been suggested that steps should be taken to make persons on whose
waste land the wild plant grows responsible for its destruction; but, as already ex-
plained, the local Government has not yet agreed to alter the existing arrange-
ments in respect of bhang in any way, and the consideration of the proposal would,
therefore, be premature (see Commissioner of Excise, Bengal's Circular No. 6075,
dated 26th January 1893).
(d) Charas is imported by (1) Yarkandis, Ladakhis, and others who bring it in, dispose
of it, principally at Hoshiarpur and Amritsar, and return with piece-goods, &c.,
and (2) merchants of Amritsar and other places who have established trade rela-
tions with Ladakh. I would refer the Commission for further particulars (if they
are wanted) to paragraph 40 of the Report on the External Land Trade of the
Punjab for the year 1891-92. The traders are not licensed. The only control over
the trade is in the way of requiring a pass from the Deputy Commissioner of the
frontier station where a consignment enters the Punjab, and the subsequent trans-
port is regulated. Rule 7 is as follows: "Merchants bringing charas into the