270
28. The average allowance of charas to be used
by a habitual moderate consumer is 2 tolas and
that used by a habitual excessive consumer is 2
chattaks. The habitual moderate bhang drinker
takes one chattak, and habitual excessive drinker
takes two chattaks at a time.
29. The ingredients mixed with bhang are
these—
(a) Common use.—Kali mirch, or black pepper.
(b) Bare use.—Cardamom, almond, souf, kasni,
rose flower, sugar.
(c) Special use.—Dhatura
Majum is prepared from bhang. Bhang is
mixed in hot seasons with tukhin, khorian, khirfa,
kasni, etc , which are known collectively by the
name of bhang massala. Charas and ganja are
also mixed with tobacco.
30. All these three are much used in assemblies
and le6s in solitude. Among those who make use
of such things, 25 per cent. are those who use in
solitude and 75 per cent. are those who use in
assemblies. It is not confined to men only ; but
the women, too, use it and sons generally con-
tract the habit of using these intoxicating drugs
from their fathers.
31. People become accustomed easily to the use
of bhang, charas and ganja, but can leave that
habit only gradually. By keeping the society
of men fond of intoxication, they are given to
much more use of them.
32. Neither any religion nor custom requires
men to use charas, ganja and bhang ; but it is
habit which makes them use in excess, and such
turn of habit is not good but bad.
33. The use of charas, bhang and ganja is not
considered to be good by people in general. There
is no particular caste or community which holds
a good opinion of the use of charas and ganja
except the few who use them. Bhang is not
regarded as bad by Chaubes, but others do not
think it good.
34. The prohibition of the use of bhang, I
think, will be troublesome to those who are given
to their use, and more so in the case of fakirs
than ordinary persons. It is usual that one
undergoes a little trouble in leaving off any habit
at first, but afterwards no difficulty occurs, and it
is often seen that when consumers of drugs, after
commiting crimes, are sent to the jail, where they
cannot have these things, they have to control
themselves, and in the end they suffer no trouble.
Had they the idea of increasing trouble, the life
would have been burdensome to them, but it is
not the case. Therefore there is no actual trouble
but only an idea of trouble. After a few days
they come round.
35. It is possible to prohibit the use of ganja
and charas ; but the use of bhang not being so
dangerous may be allowed. On being prohibited
by law, charas and ganja cannot be consumed
illicitly. The prohibition would not produce
discontent amounting to political danger. Pro-
hibition may be carried out in the following
manner.
(a) The number of shops for their vend in
cities should be reduced and altogether abolished
in villages Only a few should be kept in cities
and parganas at one or two places only. The
maximum quantity for actual vend should also be
reduced and heavy duties be imposed on intoxicat-
ing drugs.
Thus comparatively little quantity will be avail-
able with higher charges, and in this way habits
would be moderated (tempered). This decrease
of quantity and the increase of charges may easily
be bearable, and discontent will soon disappear
with this decrease of quantity. The next step
should be that the sale be altogether abolished in
parganas too, and be allowed at head-quarters only
with further restrictions on the maximum quantity
and with further increase of charges. In this way
the use can easily be stopped without giving any
rent to the public. Discontent for the habit of
those accustomed to the use of them daily will
easily be rendered temperate and then corrected,
and this system will prevent others who are newly
addicted to this bad habit. Thus the number will
daily grow less and less, and when the above men-
tioned remedies have been in practice for a suffi-
cient time, the number of those who make use of
these things will be sufficiently reduced.
It is then desirable that its use be prohibited
altogether by a special enactment. I think the
use of many spices or pills made out of tobacco is
possible if the use of bhang be prohibited.
36. Alcohol is not used in place of ganja, bhang
and charas.
37. The intoxication produced by charas is
stronger than that by ganja.
38. In this province four kinds of ganja are
used, namely flat (baluchar)—it produces strong
and excessive intoxication ; (2) pathara—it is next
to fiat and is not so strong ; (3) murra—it occupies
third place ; (4) chura, it is the weakest kind.
40. Bhang is prescribed by the native physicians
as medicine for ear-ache, diarrhœa, and swellings on
the body, and it is also prescribed for cattle
diseases ; but charas and ganja are never seen to
have been used as medicine.
41. Even the moderate use of bhang is not
found advantageous; for that, too, causes injury
and lazinesss.
(a) Bhang is digestive and remover of fatigue,
but produces impotency. Charas and ganja are
injurious to health.
42. The use of ganja and charas is not advan-
tageous, but injurious. The smokers of ganja are
found to be suffering from asthma and cough ; and
phlegm is much more increased ; and the cough
becomes such a hard one that one becomes almost
breathless by it at times ; and the body grows lazy
and weak and loses its original colour ; and the
eyes are spoiled as well.
43. Moderate consumers of charas cause so much
trouble to their neighbours that their children
become inclined to the use of these things by
every-day contact. This contraction of bad habit
gives them much trouble. besides, many other
men equally fond of intoxication gather round
them and talk indecently and nonsensically. The
smoke smells unbearably bad, and is also con-
sidered to be injurious to the health, and thus
much trouble is caused to the neighbours.
44. The intoxicating effect of bhang is not
produced at once, but begins after an hour, and
lasts for six hours. After that comes laziness,
idleness and nervous prostration. The effect of
charas and ganja is felt just after smoking, and
lasts for three hours. The state of being intoxi-
cated is a state of senselessness, and it may be
regarded as removing or preventing fatigue. It
produces no hunger ; but cough is produced for
some time after smoking, The head also turns
off, and intoxication causes irritation and resent-
ment of temper.