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22. Foreign charas, called Arkand, is more large-
ly consumed by the pilgrims. Very little charas is
prepared in this country. What is prepared is sold
or given privately to the people of the country, or
sold at Ramnagar and Kotdwin. Taking the con-
sumption among pilgrims and the people of his
country together, the proportion of country-made
charas to Arkand will be one-seventh or one-eighth.
The pilgrims prefer Arakand, which is stronger.
23. Very little. A few poor people here and
there smoke wild hemp leaves ; and sometimes
bhang leaves of cultivated plant are also smoked
with tobacco, but very rarely.
24. Bhang is neither eaten nor drunk here,
except on the occasion of the Holi festival,
when a few people in towns drink bhang and
eat what is called majum. It is prepared from
bhang leaves after it is carefully washed. But this
use is confined to the Holi festival and to a few
well-to-do people in the towns.
25. I think the use of charas is on the increase.
No particular reason can be assigned, except that
there is a growing tendency to take narcotics of all
kinds.
26. I think the proportion of moderate habitual
consumers and excessive habitual consumers will be
almost equal. There are very few occasional moder-
ate or excessive smokers. Of these all will be
moderate smokers.
27. All classes smoke charas. There is no reli-
gious prohibition against its use. Vaishnavas or
followers of Vishnu only abstain from it as a class.
Fakirs or followers of Siva take it more largely ;
in fact, every fakir will smoke charas. Those who
are in the habit of associating themselves with
fakirs generally take to charas. As a rule, the idle
people, rich or poor, who have nothing to do, con-
tract the habit.
28. A habitual moderate consumer smokes gene-
rally two chillums a day, about half a tola, costing
a pice or two. An excessive habitual smoker smokes
about 2 chataks a day, which is equal to about 8
annas when hemp is cheap, and more when it is
dear.
29. Tobacco is ordinarily mixed with charas, and
some rich people put a little musk also, but very
seldom. Some who abstain from tobacco on reli-
gious grounds smoke charas alone.
Bhang massala is not used here, but it consists
of 'kasni,' opium seeds, cucumber seeds, rose leaves,
black pepper, aniseed, and almonds ; sometimes all
together are used, and sometimes some are not.
30. Charas is always smoked in company. Four
companions are desirable. More may be tolerated.
But a charas smoker, unless he cannot find any
fellow smoker, will not smoke alone. Children
don't smoke. It is confined to the male sex gene-
rally. Adults from 16 to 32 smoke most. Some-
times female prostitutes and female devotees also
smoke.
31. The habit is easily formed if a man associates
with smokers. People smoking moderately can
leave off the habit without much difficulty. For a
time they will feel general uneasiness and loss of
appetite, but gradually, if they are determined, they
can conquer the habit. Those who smoke exces-
sively may reduce their daily consumption, but
cannot leave off the habit. In the case of charas,
habitual moderate smoking does not necessarily de-
velop into excessive smoking. Many people smoke
moderately for the whole of their lives without
becoming excessive smokers. It depends on the
general habit and circumstances of the smoker to
become an excessive smoker or not.
32. The god Siva is supposed by the Hindu to
be favourable to the use of charas or other intoxi-
cating drags. During the Holi festival and the
Sheoratri fast it is considered meritorious, though
not essential, to smoke charas and drink bhang or
eat majum. Many people who never touch these
things on other days will take them during
these occasions as a religious obligation. But it is
very temperately used. Sometimes it leads to the
habit, but not necessarily. Hundreds of people
will never touch these things when the festival is
over. As the use is very temperate, it causes no
evil.
33. As stated above, the followers of Siva consi-
der it meritorious to take narcotic things. The
fakirs, who are generally followers of the god, in-
variably smoke charas and drink bhang, but socially
the practice is looked down and is not regarded re-
spectable, and the people addicted to its use take it in
private, and will take care not to smoke in the pre-
sence of their superiors or those whom they vene-
rate. The use of all narcotics is in disrepute theo-
retically. Bhang drinking is less disreputable than
smoking charas. Although many people smoke
charas, they do not care to be known as such. This
plant is not worshipped here, but a religious sect
called "Kouls," who worship spirits, meat, fish,
etc., have bhang plant as one of the objects of their
worship. This sect performs their worship in
secret.
34. It would certainly be a serious privation to
the habitual excessive smokers, especially the fakirs,
to forego the consumption of the drug. The
number of such men, however, leaving the fakirs,
is very small, perhaps one in a thousand.
35. I think it will not be feasible to prohibit the
use of charas. To stop the cultivation of the plant;
which is so useful, will be ruinous to the country ;
and if the cultivation is allowed, charas must be
made, and as a matter of course illicit consumption
will follow. The prohibition of the drug itself will
not lead to any serious discontent or political
danger, but it will be next to impossible to enforce
prohibition. I do not think the prohibition of the
drug will as a matter of course lead to the use of
alcoholic stimulants. The effect of charas smoking
is not similar to that produced by alcohol. The
prohibition may lead to excessive smoking of
tobacco, although it may not give much satisfac-
tion, and perhaps to the use of chandu.
36. I do not think alcohol is being substituted
for these drugs. The use of alcohol is on
the increase quite independently of these drugs.
Many people have taken to drink alcohol, but they
would not have smoked charas if they had not
taken to drink. A hemp smoker will never get
that satisfaction from alcohol which he gets from
charas.
37. Ganja is said to be more intoxicating and
stronger than charas.
39. This being a cold country bhang is not drunk.
It would injure a man's health if he drank bhang
habitually in this country, and for that reason bhang
drinking would be more injurious than smoking
charas. The intoxication produced by drinking
bhang is more lasting than that produced by charas ;
the effect is produced later.
40. Village doctors prescribe charas smoking in
colic pain and all stomach disorders arising from
indigestion. Sometimes charas diluted in water is
also given to a man suffering from colic pain to
drink. Charas finely powdered is applied to a cut.
It stops the flow of blood, and heals up the wound.
Bhang leaves are given to horses and cows also.