56
Question 35 .—When I enquired amongst the
religious mendicant class—Mr. Jacob, a Mission-
ary, also enquired—they said that they anticipated
the stoppage of hemp would only be a step towards
further restrictions, and that liquor would be
next attacked. I do not think that the greater
cost of liquor would prevent the Gonds resorting
to it if the hemp drugs were prohibited. The
cost of alcoholic liquor is not as a matter of fact
high in that country.
Question 38.— I have not seen round ganja in
the Central Provinces. My information is derived
from my informant's experience in the North-
Western Provinces.
Question 39 .—My opinion of comparative effects
of smoking and drinking hemp drugs is derived
from my enquiries, not from any personal ex-
perience.
Question 45.—My opinion is based on the effects
of the drug on two servants of mine, a tent
¬ p i t c h e r a n d a s w e e p e r . T h e s e m e n d i d n o t a d m i t
the admixture of nux vomica, or dhatura. My
observation showed they were weakened generally.
The tent-pitcher, a middle-aged man, is asthma-
tic. He is lazy, but not immoral. He does not
shew any tendency to insanity. For the rest of
my answer I depended on general enquiries. The
sweeper was a great ganja-smoker, but a bad lot
all round. I cannot attribute his bad qualities to
ganja.
Question, 49.—Two Forest Rangers told me that bhang was used as an aphrodisiac.
A chaprassi
gave me the same information.
Question 53 .—I was told that three men, one of
whom was a servant of mine, a Dher, had indulged
in a bowl of bhang mixed with massala. The
Dher became uproarious to the extent of threaten-
ing people's lives. The other men were simply
stupefied. I had no information of the poisons
(nux vomica or dhatura) being mixed with the
drug. The Dher himself told me about it, and
how he bad been tied up. These men were not
addicted to bard drinking or ganja smoking.
Question 55 .—My answer is based on inform-
ation, not personal observation.
Question 65 .—I think the alcohol is cheapest to
get drunk upon in Chanda district. I speak only
of the Chanda district. Ganja is a convenient
drug to use. It can be carried on the person,
and is available at a distance from the liquor shop.
The liquor drinker uses ganja under such cir-
cumstances. If ganja were prohibited and the
people confined to alcohol, I do not think they
would become more demoralized by the change of
habit. I don't consider alcohol a worse intoxi-
cant than ganja, and that is the meaning of my
answer.
Question 69 .—As far as I could ascertain, the
wishes of the people are not consulted. I know
a case in which liquor shops were objected to, and
on representation the matter is under considera-
tion. I am aware of no case in which the people's
expressed wishes have been set aside.
28. Evidence of MUNSHI MAHOMED GHOUSE, Extra Assistant Conservator
of Forests, Raipur.
1. My personal knowledge regarding the
matters connected with hemp drugs is but limit-
ed. What little I have recorded is based on the
information obtained from persons who were
more or less concerned with the cultivation, pre-
paration, and different uses of the hemp drugs.
2. This is commonly known in these provinces
as bhang only.
There is no other name for this but charas.
Ganja is a common name for flowering top of
the plant, but to make it more distinct it is
also called ganje-ki-kali.T h e f l o w e r i n g t o p ,
either flat or round, is called ganja or ganje-ki-
kali, while the leaves and twigs detached from the
kali are known as chur or bhurka.
The names by which each of these products are
locally known are given above.
3. I know no district in which the hemp, plant
grows spontaneously ; but I am aware that its
seed germinates very freely, and the self-sown
seed had on some occasions formed a spontaneous
growth, which gradually disappeared for want of
protection.
7. I know no district in which it is cultivated
for any of the purposes referred to in this paragraph.
9. I have been informed that ganja is sown
broadcast in the ground previously prepared for
the purpose, and the growth is thinned by removal
of male plants, as well as those not likely to
form a good flowering top.
10. The cultivation of hemp, as far as I have
ascertained, is not restricted to any particular
class of men.
13. The cultivation of hemp is restricted, I hear,
nly to some particular districts. There seems
no reason why it should not grow in other districts.
As far as I know, it grows luxuriantly in friable,
clayey, or alluvial soil, and requires no special
climatic conditions.
16. Those who are habituated to the use of bhang
prepare it in their own houses, while occasional
consumers prefer generally some shady places,
such as old temples, orchards or gardens, where
they are not likely to be disturbed by strangers
during its preparation.
1 7 . B h a n g i s m a d e a n d u s e d c h i e f l y b y t h e f o l
-lowing classes of men :—Marwaris, Mahrattas,
Brahmins, Rajputs, Muhammadans.
There are also other low classes who prepare
bhang, but their proportion is comparatively very
small, and need no special mention. All athletes
are generally addicted to the use of bhang, which
is said to be very benefical to those undergoing
manual exercise.
19.
Charas is not prepared in these provinces ;
but those who had the occasion of using it state
that they mix it with gudakhu, and smoke it
either in chillum or huka. Similarly the ganja,
after being well washed and squeezed, is mixed
with dry tobacco and smoked in chillum. The
extract of ganja, is used in preparing sweetmeat,
which is commonly sold in bazar and known as
majum.
20. The smoking of ganja is not restricted to
any particular class of men. There are men in
almost all classes who smoke it more or less ; but
their proportion is difficult to be ascertained. I
can, however, confidently say that 90 per cent. of
religious mendicants, such as gosains, bairagis,
and fakirs are accustomed to it. Ganja is the
only drug used in these provinces for smoking.