302
a pice. If the sale is restricted in such a way as
to be beyond the reach of the labouring classes, its
use may diminish.
61. Not produced here.
62. Not grown in Agra.
63. Fide remarks against question No. 58.
68. There are no such shops in Agra.
69. Public opinion is not consulted. It should
be.
70. As Agra is surrounded by three Native
States, there is great facility and probability of
these drugs being smuggled into Agra.
227. Evidence of SYED MUHAMMAD NUH, Zamindar and Member of District Board,
Machlishahr, Jaunpur.
1. Personal knowledge, and also special in-
quiries.
2. In this district baluchar (flat ganja) and
pathar (round) are consumed.
3. Shahabad, Bengal; Amritsar, Punjab; Bah-
raich, Gonda, Sitapur, Kheri, Oudh; Gorakhpur,
Basti, North-Western Provinces.
4. The plants are known as—(1) ganja; (2)
bhang or bhuti.
5. In damp soil.
6. Dense.
7. The hemp plant is not cultivated in this dis-
trict.
18. Ganja and bhang can be kept with care for
two years. Liable to spoil in rainy season. Charas
can be kept four or five years.
19. Only for smoking.
20. Ganja—Chattris and gossains. Charas—
Chamars, musabars, kahars, and other low castes.
Ganja 10 per cent. of population. Charas 7 per
cent. of population.
21. Flat ganja is preferred.
22. Comes from Umballa and Amritsar, Punjab.
The best and most costly charas comes from Nepal.
23. No.
24. All classes eat and drink bhang. Twenty per
cent. of the population consume it. It is eaten in
the form of majun.
25. Ganja on the increase, bhang on the de-
crease ; because—(1) ganja can be prepared for
consumption more easily than bhang; (2) the
opening of railways has brought ganja within
easier reach of this part of the country.
28. (a) Bhang, one chittak, price 4½ pies.
Ganja, two annas worth (half tola).
(b) Ganja four annas worth (one tola).
29. (a) Ganja is mixed with soorti and tobacco.
Dhatura not used, except by a few jogis.
30. Ganja usually consumed in company ; bhang
when alone. Used more by young men than any
others.
31. Ganja and charas.—Habit easily formed and
broken off. In the latter case inconvenience is only
felt for two or three days. Bhang.—Habit formed
slowly. Inconvenience caused by breaking off lasts
two or three weeks. No harm to health is caused
by breaking off the use of any of these drugs.
32. Sadhus offer their pipes to Mahadev before
smoking, and say that he used to smoke.
33. Educated and refined people regard the prac
tice as reprehensible. Low caste people do not.
No custom of worshipping hemp plant.
34. It would be a serious privation to sadhus
and gossains, who look on consumption of hemp
drugs as part of their religion.
35. Prohibition would not lead to serious discon-
tent except among sadhus. There would be no
political danger. Most of the consumers would not
take to alcohol or other drugs.
36. No.
37. Charas is a stronger drug than ganja, and
has worse effect on the health. The effects of charas
smoking are—(1) The body becomes dried up; (2)
the blood becomes heated; (3) the complexion
becomes darker; (4) the lungs are affected.
38. Flat ganja has less injurious effects than
other kinds.
40. Bhang is prescribed by native doctors, and
is used in treatment of cattle disease. Ganja and
charas are not.
41. (a) Bhang causes appetite, but does not
assist digestion.
(b) Gives staying-power.
(c) Does not prevent disease.
43. They are inoffensive.
44. Ganja and charas.—Effect is immediate in-
toxication. They are refreshing. They create ap-
petite. The effect lasts an hour.
Bhang is refreshing and appetising. The effect
lasts eight hours, and is followed by laziness.
45. Ganja and charas produce noxious effects on
body, mind and morals. Bhang is also harmful,
but to a far smaller extent. Ganja and charas
injure the digestion and cause bronchitis and
asthma. They impair the moral sense and cause
habits of immorality. They also produce insanity.
47. Not hereditary.
49. Bhang is used as an aphrodisiac. Prostitu-
tes occasionally use ganja and charas.
The continued use of ganja and charas tends to
produce impotence.
50. All drugs, i.e., ganja, charas and bhang,
if used excessively, produce impotence.
52. Bad characters are habitual excessive consum-
ers of ganja and bhang.
55. Criminals use these drugs mixed with
dhatura for this purpose, but not without admix-
ture. Complete stupefaction can be produced with-
out admixture on people unaccustomed to use the
drugs.
56. Dhatura not mixed with hemp drugs in this
district.
57. Not eaten in this district.
59. The duty should be raised.
65. By increase of taxation the number of con-
sumers will be lessened.
66. There is no need to impose different rates of
taxation on different kinds of ganja.