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50. The excessive use of either destroys carnal
lust.
51. No class of budmashes are particularly
addicted to these drugs.
52. Nor does the excessive use assist budmashi.
53. An excessive use of charas or bhang is
not an incentive to violent or other crime, unless
the intention has been formed beforehand ; nor
does it lead to homicidal frenzy. They undoubt-
edly lead to want of foresight.
54. No.
55. Sometimes criminals induce their victims
to smoke charas, as charas induces complete
stupefaction.
56. The effects of bhang are much increased
by mixing dhatura, and, if taken in excess,
may cause loss of life. Generally criminals mingle
sugar with bhang and make majum, in which
they add dhatura, or make bhang sherbet, in which
they mix dhatura and give it to their victims.
In the same way dhatura is mixed with charas
to facilitate the commission of an offence.
57. Charas is not eaten in these parts.
59. Duties on charas should be increased, and
instead of having outshops, it would be sufficient
to have a shop at the head-quarters.
62. See answer 59.
64. Charas should be heavily taxed as compar-
ed with liquor ; for liquor does not do much harm
and is of great benefit in many diseases both to
men, horses, and cattle, whereas the use of charas
should be checked in every way possible.
67. There are such shops. 1 would have all
outshops closed, and allow no smoking on the
premises. The shop in the sadar should be in the
bazar, where purchasers would be seen. It would
not be easy to collect smokers in private houses,
which might stop the use.
68. The wishes of the neighbours are not con-
sulted. They ought to be. If, however, smoking
in the premises is forbidden, it would not matter.
205. Evidence of LAKSHMANDAS, Agarwala, Mahajan and Zamindar, Benares.
1. I have no personal experience about these
drugs, and my answers to the following questions
depend entirely upon enquiries from perpetual
smokers and other persons who have practical
knowledge of these drugs.
2. Bhang's definition, as given by Dr. Prain, is
accurate. People in this province, that is, North-
-estern Provinces, even call bhang vijaya or buti.
The definition given by Dr. Prain as regards
charas also seems to be correct. There are two
names for it—one, which is pure, is termed sal-
jahan, and the other, which is impure and mixed
with mud, is termed arkan.
The remarks given by Dr. Prain about different
sorts of ganja cannot be verified by the residents
of this district, as ganja is not grown in this part
of the country. It is imported in this province
from Rampur Boalia in Bengal. There are two
sorts of ganja prevalent in this province—one is
known as baluchur, imported from Bengal, and is
said to be of the best variety, another sort is
pathar, and is of inferior quality, and is said to
be imported from Indore and Rewah and from
western countries.
3. In this province Bahraich and its suburbs
has the reputation of producing a superior quality
of bhang. No other district in this province
produces hemp drugs.
4. In this district ganja, bhang, and charas
are known by the appellations given by Dr. Prain.
Charas sold here are received from Hoshiarpur
and Amritsar, in Punjab, and ganjas are imported
from Bengal. The superior quality of ganja is
imported from Baluchar, in Bengal. The inferior
quality is imported from Banda district.
10. Agricultural cultivators, whenever they are
cultivated, cultivate these drugs. There is not any
special class.
14. Bhang is cultivated or grown in Bahraich
and its suburbs, and ganja somewhere in the
suburbs of Banda district. No other district in
these provinces yields these drugs, though they
are susceptible of growth in many districts if
there had been no restriction,
18. Ganja loses its intoxicating effect after two
years, and bhang after two or three years.
19. Ganja and charas are used only in smoking.
Ganja seed is sometimes used as medicine. Oil is
extracted from it, and is applied as a cure for
pain.
20. These drugs are generally used by lower
classes of people or by religious mendicants. The
Gungaputras, Ghatias, Pragwalas, Gayawalas
and similar indolent classes, indulge in these nar-
cotics.
21. In this province baluchur is generally pre-
ferred to pathar ganja.
22. Charas is imported from Hoshiarpur and
Amritsar in Punjab and Bhutwal in Gorakhpur
district, and also from Indore.
23. In this province bhang is never used for
smoking.
24. Bhang is generally used by all classes of
people, whether rich or poor. Among the Hindus
90 per cent. eat or drink bhang. It is not gener-
ally used by persons who are in the habit of drink-
ing wines.
27. Bhang, charas, or ganja is generally used
by people who cannot afford to pay for the luxury
of drinking wines, or those who are prevented by
social or caste rules in the use of liquors. People,
after the close of their day's labour, generally seek
some sort of stimulants to revive the energies,
and either resort to hemp drugs or to the use of
luxurious wines.
29. In ganja and charas tobacco leaves or pre-
parations of tobacco are generally mixed before
smoking. Dhatura is not used. The admixture
is made to produce mild flavour. In bhang dha-
tura is sometimes used by religious mendicants to
strengthen the effects of bhang.
Bhang massala consists of black pepper, carda-
mom, aniseed, khurbooja seed, and rose leaves.
Rich people generally mix saffron, almond, and
milk, etc.
30. All these drugs are generally used in com-
pany. They are scarcely used by females or
children.
31. The habit of consuming these drugs is
easily formed, and is not difficult to break off.
There is no tendency for moderate consumers to
develop their habits into excessive consumption.