46
39. I would give preference to smoking ganja.
Charas, majum and drinking bhang produce in-
toxicating effects stronger than the first, and which
last longer. Excepting charas the effects from
the other two preparations are in no way injurious
to the health, so far as I have ascertained in my
own case.
40. I have never enquired on this point from
Dative doctors, but the consumers say that their
use protects them from malaria, bad effects
from water, effects from different climes and
places, and effects from closed bowels, respectively.
I do not know if any of them is used in the treat-
ment of cattle disease. It is, however, at times
administered to a patient to relieve him from in-
cessant pain for a time.
41. The consumers say that these preparations
possess all the qualities enumerated in (a), (b)
and (c). For this reason only the labouring class
use them moderately. The mendicant and fakir
classes being constant wanderers use them also
for qualities mentioned in (b) and(c). I refer to
the moderate habitual use.
42. It is beneficial, as stated in answer to
question 41.
43. Ordinarily, they are inoffensive to their
neighbours. But if they are unnecessarily spoken
to or reproached they will fall out.
44. Five or six minutes after a chilam is smoked
signs of intoxication begin to appear. After
about ten :minutes it produces forgetfulness, a
thought coming momentarily and followed by a
host of other incoherent thoughts, the original
thought being quite banished, and forgetting all
worldly cares. After about fifteen minutes one
thinks to be moving up and down. Mouth gets
dry and the tongue is felt to be dragged inside,
which is followed by a dislike for light, and in-
clination to lie down. After a couple of hours the
intoxication subsides. Similar effects are produced
from drink of bhang, but its effects are much
longer. Bhang is refreshing, produces intoxica-
tion. I have no information to answer the
remaining questions.
45. (a) No.
(b) No.
(c) I don't know.
(d) No.
(e) Not to my knowledge.
47 and 48. No, it is not hereditary.
49. No. Prostitutes occasionally use it. I think
it must be injurious. It does not produce im-
potence.
50. Excess of anything is bad.
51. I cannot say ; there is no connection of
moderate use of the drug with crime of any type.
52. I am unable to say anything on the point.
53. No. Never have I heard of any such
occurrence.
54. No.
55. (a) Yes, but not without the admixture of
" dhatura."
(b) No.
56. The admixture of dhatura with ganja or
bhang will completely stupefy a moderate con-
sumer and may cause danger to life when it is
done in excess. Cases have occurred in which
ganja mixed with dhatura was administered to
persons with an object to rob them of personal
ornaments.
57. I have not seen ganja being eaten except
in majum, and the effects of majum are already
stated.
58. I am thoroughly acquainted with the
administration of hemp drugs in the Central
Provinces and it is satisfactorily working. No
i m p r o v e m e n t s a r e n e c e s s a r y .
59. No answer, as no improvements are neces-
sary.
60. Of late years certain improvements have
been effected for watch and ward of cultivation
and manufacture. The establishment allowed is,
however, inadequate to watch so many fields sown
with ganja, and in my opinion the fields so sown
ought to be fenced, so as to prevent ingress of
other persons unconnected with cultivation. The
manufacture ought to be carried on in an enclosed
place and watched more closely and vigilantly.
61. Charas is not produced in the Central
Provinces.
62. Bhang is not produced in the Central
Provinces.
63. The present system in respect of ganja is
good in all respects, but I do not understand
why the sale of bhang is confined to be sold in
retail by the wholesale vendor only, and at head-
quarters of the districts and tahsils where a whole-
sale vendor is bound to keep an agent. It is sold
at Rs. 3 a seer to the public by retail while ganja
is issued at the same rate to the retail vendors
only, who, in their turn, sell it to the public at a
rate varying between 5 and 10.
64. The present arrangement is very good.
Import of ganja is not permitted.
65. With due consideration of the intoxicating
quality of each of these three drugs and also of
the other drugs and alcoholic intoxicants, the
present rate of taxation is reasonable (I take the
present tax on liquor for comparison). But I do
not see why on bhang the tax should be so low as
compared with ganja. There is a large gulf bet-
ween the retail rates of bhang and ganja.
66. I cannot say anything on the point.
67. Having regard to the station in life of the
majority of the consumers, the present tax seems
to me to be already high, but as the consumers
have become accustomed to it for the past eight or
ten years, I do not think any reduction or increase
in the present tax advisable.
68. The standing rules are that no drug is to
be consumed on the shop premises. Such houses
ought not to exist, and the prohibition is sound.
69. The present rules do not require any consul-
tation, but great care is taken in fixing the locali-
ties of the shops with due consideration of public
conveniences. Hitherto no objection has been
taken to the location of any shop in any place
fixed by the Collector, and besides the drug is not
permitted to be consumed on the premises of the
shop. I think the rule regarding liquor shops
should be extended for sale of drugs too.
70. Smuggled ganja is imported in small quan-
tities from the Native State of His Highness the
Holkar, as stated in answer to question 25, but
this allegation cannot be substantiated by proofs.
Consumers themselves use smuggled ganja in the
north-western part of the Nimar district, which
is intermixed with that territory, and where our
shops are not purchased. Ganja issued from
Government stores for consumption in the province
is duty paid.