311
cultivation of this plant. No modification is neces
-sary.
61. Not produced in this district.
62. It may be controlled. It is feasible.
Raise the tax. Cultivation of the plant shall be
limited under license.
63. The present system is satisfactory.
64. Yes ; if you stop the importation or. export
- a t i o n . o f g a n j a t o t h o s e p a r t s w h e r e i t i s n o t
cultivated, it will, I think, greatly lessen the
number of consumers ; if not the number, it will
at least lessen the quantity of consumption.
65. The taxation of ganja is reasonable with
reference to alcoholic intoxicants. In this district
only we have ganja, and the other kinds are not
sold, being not procurable ; hence I cannot suggest
any alteration in the amount of taxation of any
of these articles.
66. As there is slight difference in quality
between flat and round, the rate of taxation may
be slightly reduced to the round kind, as it is
little inferior. The broken is very inferior in
quality than the other two. The rate of taxation
on this preparation may be very much less.
Ganja, grown in Thaggupadu in the Kistna dis-
trict, is superior in quality than the one culti-
vated in Godavery, the tax of which may be
slightly raised.
67. No.
68. Yes, there are licensed shops in the town.
These should not be within the limits of the town.
The public generally view with aversion whenever
they see the shops selling intoxicating drugs.
These should be out of the limits of the town so
as to give less chance of coming in contact with
such shops by the rising young generation.
69. No, wishes of the people not consulted.
No measures were taken for. this purpose, Local
public. opinion. must be consulted;
70.No.
Oral evidence.
3. I learnt in my enquiries that the plant grew
spontaneously at Kudithipallam. Nellore is not
my district. My informants were military pen
- s i o n e r s . S o m e o f t h e m w e r e i n h a b i t a n t s o f t h e
Nellore district. I made enquiries of bairagis
also and the licensed vendor of the hemp drugs,
and a sweetmeat-maker. I did not ascertain that
the hemp plant grew spontaneously elsewhere
than at Kudithipallam..
39. By eating I mean the eating of the leaves
and flowering tops of ganja. The drug was not
eaten in my presence, but consumers told me
that they used to eat it. Smokers of the drug
would not eat the drug on the same day that
they smoked it, nor vice versa. The number of
eaters is very small, perhaps only 5 per cent, of
the number of smokers. I had previously heard
that the drug . was eaten, but the information I
have given. in my paper was collected in my
enquiry.
45. Native physicians do prescribe the drug in
cases of mental disorder. They come and con
- s u l t m e o n t h e s u b j e c t , a n d t h a t i s t h e w a y i n
which I come to learn this. The drug is used in
the form of halwa or majum. They consult me
to get my opinion as to the drug being safe or
dangerous. I think the drug does give relief in
these cases on account of its soporific quality. I
am not aware if the drug is used in asylum
practice.
109. Evidence of Hospital Assistant M. IYASWAMY PILLAY, Saint Thomas' Mount,
Madras.
1. During my service in the Madras Subordi-
nate Medical Department, extending upwards to
a period of nineteen years, I had visited several
stations, both in the presidency and in the Central
Provinces, where I had the opportunity of observ
- i n g p e r s o n a l l y , b e s i d e s o b t a i n i n g t h e i n f o r m a t i o n
regarding the use of the hemp plant, which is
somewhat commonly used in the latter provinces.
2. The various definitions used to the several
kinds of the hemp plant are applicable to one and
all the districts I had visited, and they are known
as bhang, charas, ganja, respectively ; but in this
district ganja is the only hemp plant that is being
used by the people.
3. I have not known any place where the hemp
plant grows spontaneously, and it would never
grow unless the seeds are planted.
4. None.
5. The hemp plants will grow in soils other
than black cotton' requiring an ordinary rain
- f a l l . W i n t e r s e a s o n a n d e l e v a t e d p l a c e w i l l
greatly assist the production.
6. They are sown densely at the commence
-ment, and then transplanted here and there.
7. None.
8. Not known.
9. The ground is first tilled and the seeds are
sown. When it grows to a height of a foot or
so it is transplanted, After a period of six months,
when it is fully grown, it is cut and dried in the
sun and shade alternately for a period of seven
days, and then it is closely packed and allowed to
remain for another week more, and afterwards
transferred into the bags.
10. The persons who cultivate hemp plant are
of the agricultural classes and nobody else.
12 to 14. Not known.
15. The only variety of hemp plant that is' met
with in the bazaars of this district is ganja,
which comes from up-country and which the
people use for smoking, eating and drinking.
16. Though bhang is not prepared in the houses
of this district, but I had known several instances,
while serving in the Central Provinces, where the
people prepared bhang in their houses from both
the ganja and bhang plants.
1 7 . A g r i c u l t u r a l c l a s s e s .
18. These drugs can be kept without deterior
- a t i o n f o r a b o u t s i x m o n t h s o r s o , p r o v i d e d t h e y d o
not come in contact with water or other fluid
substances, and if deterioration sets in at all, they
do not lose much of their activity. Dampness
and keeping for a length of time favour deterior-
- a t i o n . T o p r e v e n t i t , i t i s n e c e s s a r y t o e x p o s e
them in the sun occasionally.
19. The witness only knows about the use of
ganja, to which alone I shall confine my remarks.
It is not only used for smoking purposes, but also
for eating and drinking, irrespective of places.