31
59. The only modification in excise adminis-
tration :—I would suggest that a small tax be
imposed on the consumers of these drugs, instead
of which they he given a license permitting them
to buy these drugs, and it may be enacted that any
vendor of excise who sells any of the hemp drugs
to anybody not holding a license, may be punish¬-
able together with the buyer. This will decrease
the number of consumers and prevent the youth
of noble families from this vice.
65. In my opinion the taxation (a) with re-
ference to each other is reasonable, (b) but with
reference to alcoholic and opium intoxicants, the
taxation is very easy and should be enhanced.
This easiness in taxation cheapens ganja, and
therefore it leads to an increase in hemp drugs
consumption.
68. No houses are especially set apart for the
consumption of the hemp drugs in the Central
Provinces ; neither do people gather in the excise
shops for this purpose. But as generally the
same man is the vendor of opium and hemp
drugs, people on a small scale, who are given to
both of these drugs, smoke in the maddakhana,
but steps have been taken to prevent this.
69. No public opinion is taken, nor the wishes
of the people consulted as to the locality of the
shop. The vendor always chooses some house by
the most frequented public road, to the great
annoyance of the neighbours. I believe the public
opinion and majority are quite out of question as
far as the Indian affairs are concerned, and on my
experience I can say that whenever public opinion
is taken, it has led to many difficulties and mal-
administration. India is inhabited by various
races of different creeds and customs, hostile to
each other. Each race tries to put down the other.
The race which has the greatest population has
always the majority, and so those who are in
minority suffer very much. I think the district
officer should point out the locality for such shops
while giving the license.
70.
Ganja is very seldom illicitly imported in
such districts of the Central Provinces as adjoin
the Native States of Bhopal, Indore, Rewah
Panna and Maihar. The reason why ganja is
not much imported illicitly is that is does not bring
much money to the smuggler. I was a magis-
trate at Merwara, which is surrounded by the
Native States of Rewah and Panna, and also a
railway magistrate up to Sutna on the East
Indian Railway for seven years. During this
period only one case of this nature was brought
before me, in which a man was charged with bring-
ing a seer of ganja for a relative from Rewah.
Oral evidence.
Question 25.—The use of ganja is decreasing
and that of bhang is increasing. Bhang is made
in these provinces of the leaves taken from the
ganja. The use of madak has greatly increased,
and is replacing ganja to some extent. The
Government prohibition of licensed opium smok-
ing houses has had no effect in decreasing
consumption ; but has really increased the number
of places in which opium is smoked in company.
Ganja is considered more disreputable than bhang.
The smoking of opium is also a comparatively
respectable habit ; but few respectable people
smoke ganja.
Question. 36.—Alcohol is not so injurious as
ganja. That is my opinion. Liquor in
m o d e r a - t i o n d o e s n o h a r m ; b u t g a n j a d o e s , h o w e v e r
moderately it may be taken.
Question 38.—I know nothing about the quali-
ties of the varieties of ganja, and have put down
what other people have told me.
Question 39.—I have seen a man fall down
after a draught of ganja in the way described.
Twice witnesses have fallen down in my presence,
and I have been told that they had just primed
themselves with ganja. I have seen men fallen
in the bazars, about whom I have been told that
they had been smoking ganja. I cannot say if
they were habitual smokers. I have seen a man
fall in a similar manner when he was smoking
tobacco in consequence of the chilam having been
suddenly removed from the hookah by a
com-panion, and the smoker having, consequently,
taken a strong draught of air.
Question 40.—The name of the Arabic work I
refer to is " Makhdan-ul-Adbiya," and the in-
formation it contains about hemp might prove
interesting.
Question 42.—The tendency of the moderate
habit to develop into the excessive is true of bhang
as well as of ganja. It would be more correct to
say that the moderate habit generally develops
into the excessive in the case of ganja smoking,
and in the case of bhang only when it is taken in
Company .
Q uestion 45.—One case of insanity is that of
Augat Pande, a man well known to me, who took
both ganja and bhang. He had taken ganja for
three years, and bhang from the time he was 14
or 15 years old. His father died young, and I
knew his grandfather. There was no insanity in
the family. I know of no epilepsy in the family.
His elder brother taught him to drink bhang.
He learnt to smoke ganja from his schoolmaster,
aged 30, and other people also. Augat Pande
became quite mad and recovered somewhat. He
then relapsed, and now I hear he has died. He
was mad for 6 months, well for a year, and then
again went mad and never recovered. He died
at the age of 22. He was a Brahmin by caste.
I can't be certain there was no other cause con-
tributing to insanity. The people of the village
believe it was due to ganja. It is believed that
ganja sometimes produces insanity. The man
whose case I have described above belonged to
Bijeragogarh. Dr. Rice saw him when he was
mad, as well as I recollect. That was in 1884 or
1885. I know the cases of two brothers, Ram
Datt and Dev Datt. These did not become quite
mad. They took ganja and bhang. They became
weak in mind, and it became a question of allow-
ing them to take possession of their estate, which
was in charge of the Court of Wards. It was
however released on its being shown that they
were not mad. Ram Datt took to liquor and has
recovered. Dev Datt did not take to liquor and
is still short-witted. Their father was weak-
minded and set aside. He was not a ganja
smoker as far as I know. I know of no more
cases of insanity.
Question 47.—A man named Munnu Das was
quite well when he entered my service. He took
to ganja smoking, and had asthma in consequence
for 10 years. His two sons and one daughter all
had ast hma. I have no ot her case I can quot e
from personal knowledge.
Question 53.—The case of Khusal is not within
my personal knowledge, nor is that of Hera Singh.
They occurred 10 years ago or more. I can men-
' tion no others. The facts, however, are generally
well known.