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46. Evidence of V. KASTHUR CHETTY, Tahsildar of Adoni.
I beg to state that there are none in this taluk
who profess to have any special knowledge on the
matter.
The hemp plant, that is ganja, is grown in
Adoni, Kosgi and Cowtalam in back–vards here
and there (one or two trees) for domestic use.
The drug or dry ganja is imported in small
quantities from Daggupad in the Cuddapah dis-
trict, Alamur, Nandyala taluq in the Kurnul
district, Shamshabad and Umnabad, Bengal pre-
sidency. It is a wild plant grown spontaneously
in those places. About 40 or 50 maunds are im-
ported annually.
There is no restriction or prohibition for the
cultivation of the hemp plant,
One Gejjai Kanteppa imports the above drug
from the places noted above. He sells the drug to
two retail licensed vendors, Kamalpur Nagayah
and Anikeri Nogappa of Adoni town. The former
pays annually a tax of Rs. 85 and the latter Rs. 180
to the Government.
The drug is sold at a retail price of 4 pies per
tola or 8 annas per seer. This is the minimum
price at which it can be sold.
About 76 per cent. of the population of Adoni
town consume this drug. The class is generally
a sect of bairagis, fakirs, sanyasis, and other
ascetics devoted solely to religious purposes. It is
not used by persons connected with family matters
generally.
The subordinate medical staff of officers in the
Adoni Municipality and other Hospitals in this
taluk is least acquainted with the subject.
47. Evidence of P. S. SINGARAVELU PILLAI, Tahsildar of Erode.
1. I served for eight years in the Abkari Depart-
ment as Distillery Officer and Inspector.
2. Charas not known in the southern (Tamil)
districts. This (ganja) is known as sadai ganja
locally. The distinction of round and flat ganja
is not known. The manner of manufacturing is
to break off the branches or twigs of the ganja
plant, spread them on the ground layer after layer,
until it reaches a height of about a foot, then
place a plank over it and weight it down with
stones, etc, Ganja is also known as kalpram.
3. I am not aware of its spontaneous growth
anywhere.
4 . I t i s n o t k n o w n b y a n y o t h e rn
a m e .
5. It is a tropical plant, and wants the same
conditions as other tropical plants. I am not
aware of any special conditions.
6. Scattered.
7. (a) and (c) Yes. A plant here and a plant
there is grown in gardens. There is nothing
like systematic cultivation.
8 . N o .
9 . I d o n ' t k n o w .
10. No separate class.
The ordinary raiyat
raises it in his gardens.
11. I don't know.
12. I know that the male plants are extirpated.
13. (a) No.
(b) N o.
(c) Perhaps on the Nilgiri and Shevaroy Hills.
14. (a) and (e) Yes. Manufactured in the
towns, and to only a small extent.
15. (a) (A).—The twigs or branches of the fe-
male plant are broken and spread in layers on the
ground to a height of about a foot, Then a plank
is placed over the whole, and weighted down and
left there for about a month. The place should
be dry. Then the plank is removed, and the
leaves, which in that time will have clustered into
something like small fruits, will be removed and
stored.
(B).—The ganja is boiled in milk and strained,
Curd is made of the milk and churned. To the
butter thus obtained, spices and some medicinal
ingredients are added together with jaggery or
sugar and a kind of comfit is made. Another
coarser kind is made by grinding jaggery with
ganja leaf and some spices and nuts, such as al-
monds, etc.
(C).—Ganja flower is ground with cocoanut milk
and strained. To this boiled milk, sugar, almond,
milk, spices, etc., are added and then it is drunk.
16. Yes.
17. As a special class.
18. Yes; if kept for long. With ordinary
care this may last for a year. Exposure acts in-
juriously on the stuff.
21. There is only one kind of ganja made for
smoking.
23. I am not aware of bhang being ever
smoked.
24. (a) Bairagis, Muhammadan sepoys and foot-
pads eat bhang.
(b) Guzeratis, Maharattas and Rajputs drink
bhang.
25. No.
26. (a) 80,
(b) 15.
(c) 4.
(d) 1.
27. (a) Bairagis, sepoys and people who have
lived in Northern India.
(b) Bairagis and a few mean men.
(c) People subject to attacks of colic, fever, etc.
(4) Dyspeptics fond of gormandising.
(a) and (b) These have to bear fatigue and go
without food for a day or two at times.
(c) To allay the pain.
(d) Luxury.
28. (a) 1 tola, costing 4 pies.
(b) 3 tolas, costing 1 anna.
29. For smoking
—
(a) Tobacco to give flavour and heighten the
intoxication.
(b) Dhatura and tobacco to intensify the intoxi-
cation.
For eating—
(a) Ghee, jaggery, spices, almonds, etc., to
render it pleasant to taste.