43
53. The excessive indulgence in ganja incites
sometimes to unpremeditated actions, but not to
crimes of a violent nature.
54. I don't think they are so used.
55. No complete stupefaction is caused by this
drug if unmixed with other drugs.
56. According to treatises on medicine, ganja,
if mixed with different kinds of medicines, differ-
ent sorts of effects are modified.
57. Many drink ganja and a few eat it. I am
saying all about ganja drinking. It is taken
both in the morning as well as evening before
dinner. When ganja excessively excites the con-
sumer, he is made to take sour eatables and drinks,
and to bath constantly when he becomes extreme-
ly excited. He is caused to take "harra" in
order to cause the drug to be vomited.
58. Looking to the condition of our province,
I think that the excise administration is working
well.
65. I think the taxation of ganja, etc., is
reasonable.
22. Evidence of VINAYAK BALKRISHNA. KHARE, Brahmin, Excise Daroga, Nagpur.
1. My occupation as Excise Daroga for the last
8 years, especially in the Nimar district in which
ganja is grown, constant inspections of shops, in-
terviews with ganja contractors and ganja smokers
in the course of my tours, and the special enquiries
made last year under orders of Government, have
afforded me abundant opportunities to study this
subject.
2. There is only one kind of ganja manufactur-
ed in these provinces, and that is "flat ganja."
This article is locally called "pathar ganja." The
process of manufacture defined in Dr. Prain's
pamphlet for "fiat ganja," is exactly the one
adopted in these provinces. Bhang is not grown
here, but is imported either from Malwa or North-
Western Provinces. Charas accumulates on the
palms of hand (being resinous substance) when
harvesting ganja. It is collected, but is at once
destroyed, as its sale is not permitted in the Cen-
tral Provinces.
3. So far as I know, in no districts of the Cen-
tral Provinces wild hemp is grown.
4, 5 and 6. Since it is as above, these questions
require no answers.
7. Yes. For only (a) and (d) (seeds), and in
the Nimar district confined only to about 100
villages more or less, in the Khandwa tahsil,
covering an area nearly 1,000 acres.
A statement of the past five years is given be-
low
Year.
Number of
licenses,
Area under
cultivation.
1888-89
574
833
1839-90
699
1,466
1890-91
408
833
1891-92
474
653
1892-93
697
940
8. There was a great increase in the year 1885-
86 in area, number of licenses, and number of
villages, owing to the high rate per maund obtain-
ed by the cultivators in the preceding year from
foreign traders; but the influx of the commodity
in the market in that year and the limited demand
for the article disappointed the cultivators when
they found that their labours were scarcely paid by
the return their field produce brought. The fol-
lowing year showed a great falling off and conti-
nued stationary up to the current year, when there
is a little increase on account of the preceding year's
high prices obtained by them. Its increase or de-
crease depends upon the demand.
9. Please see separate memorandum sent by the
Commissioner of Excise, Central Provinces.
10. There is no special class of cultivators for
the cultivation of ganja. The ordinary agricultur-
ists do it.
11. No. Not from wild hemp seed.
12, No answer, as wild hemp is out of question
for these provinces,
VOL. VI.
13. Yes, to Nimar district, Khandwa tahsil.
There is no particular reason why it is permitted
in Khandwa, except that the cultivators there have
been sowing it for years past, and when asked to
name the period, they say their grandfathers used
to say that they learnt it from their grandfathers.
It is certain that ganja crop requires moderate
rain and good water soaking soil. Ganja was also
grown in the Katol tahsil of the Nagpur district,
of which the land is said to be suitable, but since
3 years cultivation is prohibited there as the drug
produced in Nimar is much more in excess of the
provincial demand, the surplus being annually ex.
ported to some districts in the North-Western
Provinces and Native States in Central India. I
don't think the cultivation would be impossible ex-
cept for the careful examination of the ganja
growing plant.
14. Yes, (a) ganja, (b) charas, but this is not
collected nor sold. In Nimar about 100 villages,
1,000 acres more or less. Produce between six
and seven thousand maunds.
15. Please see separate note sent by the Com-
missioner of Excise for the province: one kind
only is prepared for all purposes.
16. (a) No answer, as bhang is not produced in
the Central Provinces,
(b) No.
(c) No knowledge.
17. By the ordinary cultivators.
18. Bhang is imported and consists of dry leaves
without any resinous substance. I have seen
bhang stored in the ordinary way for four years
without deterioration or losing its quality.
Charas is never kept, and I am unable to say any-
thing about it, but ganja deteriorates and loses
its quality after two years, the resinous substance
having dried or disappeared from it. I do not
think it will hold good after that period with any
amount of care.
19. Ganja and charas are used in smoking.
Majum. (one of the names for a form of intoxi-
cant made from hemp) is prepared from ganja, and
it is eaten as a luxury generally by all classes of
people. There are also habitual majum eaters.
I saw in Nagpur during the last Moharam festi-
vities that it was indulged in even by young
children who came with their parents to see the
tamasha from outside. It is also indulged in dur-
ing the Holi festival of the Hindus. It is sold
throughout the year at the head-quarters of the
districts generally.
20. The following classes of people generally
make use of ganja in smoking, viz: (1) Hindu
mendicants of all grades; (2) the Muhammadan
fakirs; (3) labouring classes on the railways and
agriculture and others; (4) a few agriculturists;
2