10
55. I have not met with any such case in my
experience. Dhatura is the universal drug for
this work.
56. Dhatura, as I have said before, renders
anything it is mixed with intensely noxious.
None of the other admixtures appears to act ex-
cept as flavourers or condiments.
58. The present system works smoothly and
well from a district officer's point of view.
59. I have no improvements to suggest.
63. No objections occur to me.
64. No. A defect observed in the Excise Act,
which provided no penalty for petty smuggling
of hemp drugs, is about to be rectified.
65. I am disposed to think that in comparison
with alcohol, hemp would bear a somewhat higher
rate of taxation. Eight annas a month will at
present keep a moderate ganja smoker very well
supplied — that is, hemp is considerably cheaper
to the consumer than alcohol.
69. No; but any objection made is carefully
considered. It would in the present backward
state of Bundelkhand be impossible to introduce
any system of consulting public opinion.
10. Evidence of MR. G. A. TWEEDY, Superintendent (Collector), Dehra Dun.
16. No. By drug contractors as a rule, but it
is also made by private persons in their houses.
There is nothing more necessary than to dry the
leaves. It can be prepared from the wild hemp
wherever grown.
I cannot speak from my own knowledge as to
ganja, but the real charas is made only in Central
Asia, and I have always understood that a cold
climate is necessary for it.
But in the hills in some places, I know in Ram-
pur-Bisahr, which is one of the Simla Hill States,
and I think in Tihri Garhwal, the people make a
kind of charas by rubbing the hemp plant in their
hands, and then scraping off their hands the resin-
ous substance which adheres to them.
22. In this district charas is used entirely and
not ganja. It is imported from Yarkand and Cen-
tral Asia through the Panjab, Hoshiarpur being
the chief depot.
25. I think their use is stationary; there is no
reason to believe the consumption of drugs to be on
the increase, but I cannot say. I think they are
decreasing except chandu. In this district, how-
ever, I am bound to say that the consumption has
undoubtedly increased during the past year, but I
attribute this to the exceptionally cold and wet
year. During such seasons drugs are more largely
consumed than in ordinary years.
31. In my experience as far as I have been
able to discover, the habit of consuming ganja and
charas is easily formed and is difficult to break off.
No doubt there is a tendency for the moderate
habit to develop into the excessive.
32. It is undoubtedly a religious custom for
certain fakirs to smoke ganja and charas. I be-
lieve their use of the drug is repudiated by other
sects of fakirs.
33. The use of bhang is not reprobated. The
use of ganja and charas by fakirs and other holy
men is certainly not reprobated by the general
public, but by other sects of fakirs. The moder-
rate use of ganja and charas meets with very
slight reprobation, if not with toleration. Exces-
sive use of ganja and charas is no doubt reprobated,
but I think the feeling is one rather of pity for
the unfortunate victim than of moral indignation.
These remarks must be read with reference to the
lower classes, among whom the habit of smoking
hemp drugs obtains. Among the higher classes the
use of ganja and charas is generally reprobated.
The use of chandu is certainly more reprobated than
that of other drugs. This I attribute to the evil
effects which it produces.
35. (a) Most emphatically not.
(b) Yes, certainly.
(c) to (f) The prohibition could not be en-
forced without the strictest enforcement of penal
provisions. Such prohibition would undoubtedly
occasion serious discontent among the consumers.
I should doubt this discontent amounting to
a political danger, but this is a difficult point
on which to form an opinion. Other drugs
would assuredly be resorted to and probably al-
cohol. I think the only feasible improvement in
our policy is to raise the price of charas and
ganja. I am informed that large numbers of
the Gurkhas smoke charas. The prohibition of
this drug might lead to serious trouble with them.
36. No. If any change at all takes place, it is
in the other direction. Scarcity and consequent
dearness of provisions occasionally drives liquor-
consumers to drugs, but not often. I have never
come across drug-consumers taking to liquor, but
I believe there are instances, though rare. In-
stances of alcohol-consumers taking to drugs are
common.
41. Charas is largely used in this district as (a),
(b) and (c), but chiefly as (c). It undoubtedly
acts in these ways when moderately used. I am
informed that the people in this district who used
charas during the year which is drawing to a
close (an exceptionally cold and wet year) have
enjoyed better health than those who abstained.
These drugs seemed to warm the system and give
people the power to withstand cold and keep off
fever.
42. This is a difficult question. The Gurkhas
who smoke charas a good deal are physically very
strong and sturdy. As far as I am able to form
an opinion, I think the moderate use of these
drugs is for the time being beneficial in cold and
malarious localities, but in the end a habitual con-
sumer generally suffers in health, and his brain
is certain to suffer in the long run.
43. Yes. I never heard of immoderate con-
sumers being anything else either. These drugs
when taken in excess do not excite, but stupefy.
51 and 52. I think not. Low Muhammadans
consume these drugs, and no doubt among bad-
mashes would be found a good many drug-smok-
ers, but it is nut correct to say that a large
proportion of bad characters are habitual con-
sumers. I believe neither the moderate nor exces-
sive use of these drugs has any connection with
crime. At least the crime is the cause not the
effect of the use of the drugs. Thieves take to
drugs because their moral sense is weakened by
their crime. They don't take to crime in conse-
quence of being drug-smokers.
58 and 59. I consider the present system to
be working well, and I cannot see where improve.