3
experience has not shown me that even excessive
indulgence in ganja incites to unpremeditated
crime, violent or otherwise, nor do I remem-
- b e r a n y c a s e i n w h i c h i t h a s l e d t o t e m p o r a r y
homicidal frenzy, or, except one case of dacoity
in the Saugor district, where habitual or pro-
- f e s s i o n a l c r i m i n a l s h a v e f o r t i f i e d t h e m s e l v e s t o
commit a premeditated crime ; but I think it ex-
tremely likely that a person, not an ordinary
criminal, but one who had determined to do a
desperate deed, might nerve himself to the act by
smoking ganja ; and I think I can recollect a case
of that kind in the Bhandara district, where four
Muhammadans of desperate character, but not
ordinary criminals, defied the police for long in a
house in which they had made themselves strong,
and finally, after murdering their women, who
willingly consented thereto, broke out and escaped,
only to be captured some days later. These men
had, I believe, fortified themselves with ganja,
but it was not the ganja that impelled them to
commit the crime. In all my experience I cannot
at present recall one single case in which a state
of ganja intoxication was the real cause of the
crime, while I could cite a whole catalogue of
murders the result of drunkenness.
Since the above was written, another case has
come before me, in which a man charged with the
murder of his wife asserted that he knew nothing of
the matter : he had been smoking ganja, and for
days knew nothing of what happened. This was
proved to be wholly untrue, and I merely mention
the matter as showing how often drugs are said
to be the cause of crime when there is absolutely
no foundation for the statement.
55. I do not remember any case in which mere
ganja was used by criminals to stupefy their vic-
tims. Dhatura is of common use for their pur-
pose. It is not always possible in such cases to
ascertain what was used.
58. I think the present system of Excise Ad-
ministration in respect of hemp drugs is working
well. It has been gradually elaborated, and is
now well understood. Does not give more trouble
than any system of strict control that can easily
be conceived, and brings in a very considerable
revenue. Some of the best officers in the province
have at one time or another in the last dozen
years held the office of Commissioner of Excise,
and they have done their best to establish a good
working system. I cannot say that I have been
able to give that minute examination to the de-
- t a i l s o f t h e s y s t e m t h a t w o u l d e n a b l e m e t o p o i n t
out small blots or weaknesses, but that will not
be expected from me, nor am I prepared to suggest
that the present rates of duty should be enhanced
or reduced.
In spite of my belief that the use of ganja is
on the increase, I am not prepared to say that it
would be better that more alcohol should be con-
sumed and less ganja. I do not think that the
information collected up to date warrants us in
dogmatizing on the matter. The other questions
in this chapter have either been answered infer-
- e n t i a l l y i n a n s w e r s a l r e a d y g i v e n , o r d o n o t r e q u i r e
an answer from me. But I would like to say in
conclusion that I think in the case of a drug so
generally consumed as ganja the system of tax-
ation and of control should be, if not uniform for
all provinces, yet on somewhat the same lines, and
that the tax should fall, if not at the same rate,
still at such rates that there should be no great
temptation to smuggle from one part of British
India into another.
2 Evidence of COLONEL M. M. BOWIE, Commissioner, Nerbudda Division.
1.
I
have been in the Central Provinces Com-
mission since 1864, and have been Assistant and
Deputy Commissioner, Inspector General of
Police and Jails, and finally Commissioner. My
name will be found also among those who have
held the appointment of Commissioner of Excise,
but I never took up this appointment, and I have
never had any special opportunities of obtaining
information regarding hemp drugs, and have not
given the subject any particular attention.
2. I have never heard of charas being used by
the people of this province, nor have I seen it.
I believe that both the bhang and ganja here used
are obtained from the cultivated plant, and I am
not aware that the different kinds of ganja noted
in the question are generally known in this
province.
7. In this province the hemp plant is now
cultivated in the Nimar district only. The cul--
tivation elsewhere has been prohibited. In Nimar
it is cultivated for the production of both ganja
and bhang. I have never heard of charas being
produced there,
16. Bhang is, I am informed, invariably pre-
pared by the people in their own houses.
19. As far as I know, ganja is used only for
smoking,
20. Ganja-smokers will, I believe, be found
among all classes of the people, but it is the
labouring classes that chiefly consume it. As to
the proportion of the people who consume ganja,
vol. vi.
I fear I cannot give reliable information. In the
village in which I am now encamped, Lokurtalai,
in the Hoshungabad district, there are 909 in-
habitants, and the contractor tells me he has eight
regular customers.
20. The people say they use the ganja supplied
by the contractor, and the contractor informs me
that this is the flat ganja.
23. I am informed that bhang is never used
for smoking in this part of the country.
24. Here bhang is chiefly drunk by the bunnia
class and most of all by the Marwaris who
take it during the hot weather as a cooling drink
(thandai). In Sumbalpur the brahmins, I know,
use it in the same way, and I believe its use is
common among brahmins in other parts of the
province also.
A preparation of bhang called majun is eaten
by all classes in small quantities ou the occasion
of some festivals.
25. I know no reason for supposing that the
use of any of these drugs is on the increase, and
people say that the consumption of ganja has
much decreased since restrictions were placed on
the cultivation and sale of this drug.
26. I do not know of any class that habitually
consumes bhang, and the occasional consumers I
believe to be always moderate consumers. With
regard to ganja, I would say that most of the
consumers are probably habitual moderate con-
sumers, though there are also a large number
D 2