288
nal properties. It is also used in the treatment
of cattle disease.
41. Bhang used with moderation is food acces-
sory or digestive. Ganja favours (b) and (c). As
for part (d), I beg to say that bhang is occasion-
ally and moderately used by the vulgar people in
treating motions.
42. No ; because there can be no regular moder-
ation in habitual addiction.
43. No.
47 and 48. No ; not hereditary. Of course the
children may be degenerated.
51 and 52. Yes. Crime is not naturally known
to the bhang and ganja consumers. But charas
being mostly used by bad characters, the latter
are apt to betake themselves to stealing, adultery,
rape, etc.
53 and 54. No.
55. Yes; they sometimes give ganja mixed
with poisonous ingredients, without which (latter)
no complete and instantaneous stupefaction is, 1
suppose, possible.
58. The Excise Department, as intendel by the
Government, is working well. But it can be re-
formed in many ways.
82. No; and bhang being more of natural or
wild growth than (if at all) of cultivation, it will
be futile to attempt to control its preservation, if
the Government does not abolish the sales alto-
gether.
65. Taxation under head (a) seems reasonable,
taxing charas and ganja more heavily than bhang.
But with reference to (b), they should never be
taxed to a point that people would prefer alcoholic
or other intoxicants. My simple reason being
that otherwise people would use alcohol, opium,
etc., more freely, and the bad effects of these
strong intoxicants are tenfold more than the hemp
drugs.
My idea is that attempt should be made to
do away with stronger intoxicants, and then the
minor ones (ganja, bhang, and charas) may be
dealt with,
68. In large towns there are such places. It
is right to close such houses. They generally
serve as muster-places for a lot of young idlers
and men of questionable characters.
69. Hardly ever the wishes of the people are
consulted. The hop-keeper calculates his profit
and loss in his own way and starts his work. It
is advisable to consult local opinion before opening
such shops.
214. Evidence of THAKUR BALBHADDAR SINGH, Talukdar of Mahewa, Gadhi
Pershadpur, District Kheri.
1. In my villages, as well as in other villages
of Kheri and Tahsil Nighasan, ganja and bhang
grow wild abundantly. I have learnt the charac-
teristics of the plants and their use through my
personal experience, and also from their smokers.
2. The definitions given in question No. 2
are not applicable in this province. Ganja plants
are different from bhang. The bhang tree is
small, and its seed is so small that it is scarcely
visible, and is only called after the name of bhang.
In my opinion charas is not made in this province.
The ganja plant grows wild, and it being glutin-
ous, the leaves become closely adhered. Its seed
is very large. The seed is not detached from the
ganja until it is rubbed at the time of smoking.
Every kind of ganja, bhang, and charas is sold
and is called by these very names.
3. It grows wild in the districts of Kheri, Sita-
pur, Bahraich, and Hardoi; especially in the dis-
tricts of Kheri and Bahraich it grows in abun-
dance.
4. Is known by the name of ganja and bhang.
If no care be taken of ganja plant, it is called
goorha; if it is taken care of, is called mahadeva.
There is no other name for bhang.
5. The westerly wind is useful for hemp plant,
so also taper land and absence of rainfall in the
months of Kartik and Baisakh. It ripens in
Kartik and Baisakh. The easterly and northerly
wind is very injurious. The ganja grown in dry
land is better than that grown in damp parts.
6. It is dense.
7. In my opinion there is no cultivation of
hemp plant in this province.
16. People generally prepare bhang in their
houses. It can be prepared wherever grown.
Ganja and charas can also be prepared from the
wild plants.
18. Ganja and bhang deteriorate by keeping.
It is kept good with ordinary care for one year ;
after this deteriorates on account of wet. There
is no measure to prevent deterioration, except to
keep in the sun and to save it from dampness.
19. Yes; ganja and charas are used only for
smoking.
20. Bairagi, naga, jogi, joshi, kabirpanthi,
jugjewandasi, munnadasi, gossain, and other mean
classes like goria, kahar, chamar, pasi, kori, etc.,
smoke them in large proportion. Their estimated
number in this province is 30,000. There is no
such particular place, but nearly in every village
there are different classes of people who smoke
them.
21. The best kind of ganja is baluchar and is
smoked.
22. Charas is not prepared here. It is im-
ported from other places, like Bengal and Gwalior.
23. Bhang is not smoked.
24. All classes of Hindus, like Brahman, Chatri,
Khatri, Buniah, Kaisth, Kurmi, etc., eat and drink.
No special locality or number can be given.
25. Is used moderately in this province.
29. The ordinary ingredient for bhang is black
pepper and is seldom mixed with melon seeds,
sonf, kasni, black pepper, rose flower, melon
flower, cucumber seeds, kahoo seeds, khurfa seeds,
and being grounded is drunk with sugar. Dha-
tura is used only among fakirs. By mixing in-
gredients its effects are moderate, while dhatura
mixture makes it more intoxicant, and the throat
and tongue are dried.
30. It is equally used in solitude and in com-
pany. Children and women do not use any of
these drugs.
31. It is easy to get in habit of consuming
these drugs, but it is difficult to break them off.
By and by it develops into excess.