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Wednesday 3 June 2020

Memorandum on Hemp Drugs in Jodhpur State 1894

Memorandum on Hemp Drugs in Jodhpur State, Vol 3, Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895, https://digital.nls.uk/74464868

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 memorandum shows the total income derived thereby.

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 of Marwar, probably on account of there being a greater population, a contract for the sale of bhang, ganja, and charas has since 1880 been given, which has brought an income of Rs. 14,047 to the Darbar. A parwana instead of a license is issued by the city Kotwal in Jodhpur and by the Hakim in Pali by auction to the highest bidder. It covers a period of nearly one year. Both the aforesaid authorities supervise and control the sale and punish the infringers of the contract. In places other than Jodhpur and Pali, where there is a less demand and supply of these drugs, their possession and sale are not controlled, and no necessity has ever been felt for such control. There are no retail vendors in Pali, but there are fourteen in Jodhpur, all of whom are under the control of the contractor, who himself has two shops within the town. The retail sellers are ordinary shopkeepers vending these drugs along with other articles. With reference to area and population, when and where they see any necessity for the same, they sell these drugs purchasing at a lump sum from the contractor. The rates at which the drug is supplied by the contractor to the retail vendors and ordinary consumers are the following:—
Marwari—
Supplied to retail vendors.
Supplied to ordinary consumers.
Bhang 4 seers per rupee. 3 seers per rupee. Ganja 3 1/4 rupees per seer. 3 1/2 rupees per seer. Charas 7 rupees per seer. 8 rupees per seer. No tax is imposed in this country except the duties alluded to above. The average retail price to the consumers of bhang varies from two pies to nine pies, to those of ganja from one anna to three annas, and to those of charas from one anna to two annas. It does not differ much in the different parganas. There is no maximum amount fixed for retail sales to, or possession by the ordinary consumers; but as the consumers are not, generally speaking, well-to-do persons they do not keep more than two or three doses. There is no minimum price, the current rates having already been quoted. No complaint of smuggling or of an illicit sale of these drugs has yet been brought to the notice of the Darbar. The kotwal of this city in Jodhpur and the hakim in Pali are, however, empowered to punish the smugglers and unauthorized vendors of the drugs. Bhang, ganja, and charas are not under the control of the local Excise Department, and there are no modifications under the consideration of the ijlas. As has already been stated, the appended statement gives the required statistics about these drugs, as far as the figures could be available from the records of the Darbar. The explanation of variations from year to year seems to be that these drugs are generally imported when either the stock is exhausted or when their rates are cheaper in the countries from where the contractors import them. (i) According to section 23 of the excise law the maximum amount fixed for retail sales to, or possession by, an ordinary consumer is bhang 120 tolas and charas 40 tolas, and the fixing of the minimum prices rests with the nazims. (j) Since the introduction of the excise rules this year, no case of smuggling has come to notice. At the time when the excise rules came into force, all the drugs were taken away from those who possessed them and were either confiscated or sold to wholesale vendors. As mentioned in (f) defaulters of customs duty are punished by fine and confiscation of the drug. Illicit sales and possession are punished according to section 34. (k) None. (l) As no records of past years exist, no explanation can be given of any differences and variations that have taken place in the cultivation, trade, etc., of the drugs. There was neither permission nor prohibition on the part of the raj, and everyone who chose used publicly to sell and buy. The customs duty only was taken in the raj. The present rules have come into force this year only and have not been fully carried out yet, and contracts have not yet been given everywhere, but illicit sales have been stopped. The statement cannot therefore be filled in. Statistics regarding the consumption and revenue cannot be prepared at present. The quantity imported can be ascertained from the Customs Department. Mention of cultivation has been made in (b), and regarding the importation of the drugs information is supplied in 2. (m) Full details are contained in the excise law. Translated. CHAS. S. BAYLEY, Political Agent, Bikanir.
Translation of a communication from the head of the Customs Department, Bikanir, dated 27th October 1893. The Council's Order, dated the 17th October 1893, enclosing papers regarding the hemp drugs was received on the 21st idem. With reference to paragraphs 3 and 4 of the letter from the Secretary to the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission and the note mentioned in paragraph 3,I beg to state that the bhang, charas, and ganja plants do not grow either wild or by cultivation in this State, but the drugs are imported from foreign territory. No other preparations from bhang, ganja, or charas are made in this State for trading purposes, nor are they imported from other territory. On the Holi and other festivals majum is prepared from bhang and is sometimes sold retail. Bhang is pounded, mixed with milk and sugar and drunk. It is also eaten dry, in which case almonds, pistachios, etc., etc., are mixed with it. The charas imported into the State is of two kinds, viz., (1) garwa, which is smoked with tobacco; its effect is immediate and strong; and (2) charas. This latter is also smoked in the same way, but its effect is less strong. The ganja is of one kind only. Prior to Sambat 1942 customs duty was levied at different rates on bhang, charas, and ganja. The system of levying the duty was also different at head-quarters and in the districts, i.e., in the districts duty was realized by the tahsils, and at head-quarters by the Customs Department. The statistics for the past twenty years cannot be supplied in the prescribed form because no records exist from which the different rates of duty prevalent in different places, the amount of revenue, the quantity of the drugs imported, etc., could be ascertained. The Customs Department was reorganized in Sambat 1942, since which time bhang has been taxed at Rs. 5 per maund and ganja and charas at Rs. 20 per maund, and one system of realization of duty has been introduced for the whole State. The customs officials are under the control of the head of the department. The customs rules have been in force. Girdawars and Naib Girdawars have been appointed for inspection work. The rawanas of Sambat 1942 have been destroyed, but those from Sambat 1943 to 1949 are in existence, from which a statement showing the quantity of the drugs imported and the amount of revenue realized during the eight years has been prepared. It is submitted with this report. For Sambat 1942 the quantity imported has been shown in a lump. The tax on charas and ganja is levied at one rate; therefore in. some rawanas the words "charas and ganja" have been used together, and hence information regarding the two drugs cannot be supplied separately. There was formerly no prohibition in this State, and no licenses for wholesale or retail vend were given; therefore the drugs were imported and sold without restriction. According to article 5 of the Agreement with the British Government the export from this State into British territory of intoxicating drugs was prohibited. Exporters were punished with confiscation of the drugs and fine and imprisonment according to rules framed in 1878. The punishment for the export of opium was different. But sincethe beginning of 1893 the excise law of the Darbar has been put in force under the supervision of the nazims and tahsildars, and the whole arrangement has been put under the control of the Revenue Department, from which information regarding the granting of licenses for wholesale and retail vend, the import and export of the drugs, and the opening of the shops, etc., can be obtained. The answers to the Secretary's questions can also be obtained through the Revenue Department, and the form of statement may be filled up there also. It has been ascertained that some bhang is grown at the village of Chani in the Bahaderan tahsil by canal irrigatwn, and the Revenue Department can supply information regarding its cultivation and supervision. Translated. CHAS. S. BAYLEY, Political Agent, Bikanir.
Statement showing the quantity of charas, ganja, and bhang imported into the State and the amount of duty realized from Sambat 1942 to 1949. 
 
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