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vending and to place the consumers under police
surveillance and sanction. The consumers will be
seriously discontented. Political danger might
follow the prohibition. Probably the consumers
of ganja will take to other narcotics; which they
may be I cannot specify.
40. Ganja has medical uses in the country medi
- c a l b o o k s a n d i s p r e s c r i b e d b y n a t i v e p h y s i c i a n s .
Ganja is used in the treatment of cattle.
47 and 48. The use of ganja does not appear to
be hereditary nor to affect the children of the
moderate consumers.
58. The administration of excise in my State is
the best I could devise.
59. No improvement suggests itself to me.
60. No ganja is produced in my State at present.
61. No charas used here.
62. No bhang used.
63. No objection.
64. No objection.
65. (a) Reasonable.
(b) Reasonable.
66. Different sorts of ganja should be different
-ly taxed, according to their intoxicating properties,
the more intoxicating ones being taxed more
heavily.
67. No objections.
68. No licensed shops where ganja could be
consumed on the premises. Such houses would
not be possible in view of the habit of the con
-sumers of smoking wherever they like as tobacco
is smoked.
69. The wishes of the people are not consulted
before opening a shop, and a shop is opened in
a place the people of which are known to smoke
ganja. This is in fact considering the wishes of
some of the people. Local public opinion should
no doubt be invited and considered.
70. I do not import ganja from any Native
State: all the ganja used here is imported from the
Sambalpur Government Stores. Duty is paid
ultimately by the consumers as vending is licensed
at the first. Untaxed drugs are not in general
use in my State.
60. Evidence * of PANDIT NARAYAN RAO GOBIND, Brahmin, Zamindar, Hurda.
1. I have had occasion to talk with some ganja
- smokers and persons addicted to bhang-drinking
and I have generally met with majum-eaters
during the Holi days and persons who take
bhang in the hot season. The sadhus, bairagis
and gosains who generally use bhang and ganja
have also added to the number of my informants
regarding the matters connected with the hemp
drugs.
2. The ganja sold in the market by the con
-tractor is of three varieties. The flat ganja is
called kali, the round one is termed only ganja,
and the chur is named bhang, but this is not the
real bhang, which is of two kinds, sadi and
dudhia. Bhang is also called buti, bhrangakha
and bijya respectively.
3, 4, 5 and 6. I do not know this.
7. There is no cultivation of the hemp plant in
the Hoshangabad district, but it is carried on in
the Nimar district
—
(a ) for production of ganja;
(b) for use as bhang; and
(c) for its seeds.
8 and 9. I do not know this.
10. The agricultural cultivators and the malies
can undertake this cultivation.
11 and 12. I do not know this.
13. The cultivation of hemp plant for ganja
is forbidden in the Hoshangabad district, but
why it has been restricted is not known to me.
Ganja can be produced in this district. The fact
as to where its cultivation would be impossible can
only be ascertained when the cultivation is given
a trial and results in failure.
14. In the Nimar district they produce ganja
from the hemp plant and term its chur as bhang,
but this is not real bhang.
15. I do not know this.
16. The real bhang is not prepared in this
district. The other portion of this question I
cannot answer.
17. I do not know this.
18. They do not use charas here, and therefore
I do not know the particulars connected with that
drug. Ganja and bhang keep good with ordinary
care for about a year. They smell bad after that
period. They do not quite lose their effect but
their strength is reduced. If they are carefully
preserved in a box, their deterioration can be pre
-vented for a period of five years.
19. Ganja is generally used for smoking. It
is also required for certain medicines. It is not
otherwise eaten, I do not know the particulars
connected with the charas drug.
20. The use of ganja is not prohibited among
any classes of people excepting the Bohras and
Parsis. The people who use ganja are not regard
- e d w i t h r e s p e c t a b i l i t y , a n d t h e r e f o r e i t s u s e i s
generally made in secrecy. The correct propor
- t i o n o f t h e g a n j a - s m o k e r s c a n n o t b e d r a w n . I n
these provinces they average about 5 per cent. of
the population.
21. They prefer flat ganja termed kali or balu
-chur.
22. I do not know this, as charas is not import
-ed in these provinces.
23. In these provinces bhang is not used for
smoking.
24. Generally the Brahmans residing in places
of pilgrimage, viz., Benares, Ujjain, Mathra,
Allahabad, Kanhpur, etc., and in Malwa and
Bengal are addicted to use bhang. In the hot
season the mahajans drink bhang and some
people eat the drug as c h u r a n .
25. The use of ganja is on the increase and
that of bhang is decreasiug. Bhang is taken as
a luxury, but as it sells dear, its use has decreas
-ed. The reason why the use of the ganja is in
- c r e a s i n g i s t h a t t h e l a b o u r e r s f i n d i t a n e c e s s i t y .
26. I do not know this.
27. It does not depend upon any particular
class of the people, but low-paid labourers, and
the gosains and bairagis who always keep travel
-ling are, owing to the effect of society, taken to
this intoxication.
* Translation.