381
tion of mind. Charas is certainly in disrepute.
So is bhang except among fakirs. No such
custom known.
34. I think not. Perhaps 20,000 in the Punjab
take bhang and 10,000 charas.
35. Bhang could hardly be stopped near the
hills where it grows wild; charas might easily be
stopped. Stoppage would cause no danger. It
might cause recourse to spirits by those who could
afford them.
36. No. I think rather the contrary is the
case. The consumption of charas in the Punjab has
nearly doubled in the last 10 years, while the con-
sumption of liquor has increased by only about 50
per cent.
37. Not acquainted with ganja.
39. Smoking charas is more injurious I should
say than drinking bhang in the ordinary way, but
bhang is perhaps as injurious as any drug when
taken in excess.
40. Not known.
41. Cannot say. Never heard any good of
these drugs.
42. Moderate use of bhang nearly harmless.
If moderate use is exceeded, it causes feebleness of
mind and incapacity for business.
43. Yes. They are merely hilarious. I refer
to bhang-drinkers.
44. Moderate use of bhang renders a man
light-hearted for the time—a mild form of intoxi-
cation. Does not create appetite. Charas creates
thirst.
45 and 46, Any but very moderate use seems
bad. This will best be answered by special medi-
cal officers.
47 and 48. Never heard so.
49. Yes. Charas is said to be used with that
object and to be served by prostitutes to their
clients. Cannot answer remainder of question.
51. Bad characters are certainly often charas-
smokers and perhaps frequently bhang-drinkers.
Cannot give any answer to latter part of this
question.
52. See above.
53. I have known no such cases.
54. I have known no 6uch cases. The Sikh
warriors are said to have obtained "Dutch courage"
by doses of bhang. It may probably be used to
incite an inexperienced accomplice. The police
could answer this question.
55. Dhatura is more commonly spoken of in
this connection. I do not think an unaccustomed
man would easily be induced to take charas or
bhang. Charas might stupofy him completely
if he could be got to take it.
56. Cannot say. Dhatura is probably more
potent than charas.
57. No experience.
58. It is difficult to follow the effects of excise
in drugs, because the licenses for sale of drugs
are frequently not separated from those for sale
of opium. The system is one of license fees,
that is, the number of shops being restricted,
these partial monopolies are put up to auction,
and the purchaser has to recover what he has paid
for the license by charging an extra price to the
consumers. I have no suggestions to make for
improvement of present system.
60. Ganja is not produced in the Punjab.
61. Charas is not produced in the Punjab.
62. It grows wild and cannot be controlled.
63. None.
64. None.
65. Yes, except that charas might perhaps be
made a little dearer in proportion to spirits than
it now is. It is the cheapest intoxicant now
available. For the above purpose it would be
easy to put on an import duty in addition to the
license fees.
66. Cannot give an opinion,
67. None.
68. No.
69. Not systematically, but any reasonable ob-
jections made by the residents would be consider-
ed. The opening of an entirely new shop is very
unusual.
70. No. The tax is collected by allowing
partial monopolists to raise the price, not by an
import duty.
12. Evidence of MR. H. A. ANDERSON, Deputy Commissioner, Bannu.
2. The definitions of Dr. Prain may be accept-
ed for this province.
Charas is locally known by the names Kabuli or
Yarkandi charas. Bhang is known by the names
country "desi" and hilly "Pahari."
Ganja is not used in this district. Bhang is
seldom cultivated in this district.
Bhang of spontaneous growth is abundant in
Khost and other adjoining hills in independent
territory, and that is often used.
7. Hemp is not cultivated in this district owing
to the fact that the cultivators cannot sell it to
persons other than contractors, and the contractors
make their own terms; hence the cultivation is not
profitable.
14. These are not prepared in this district,
15. The method of preparing ganja is not known.
Charas is prepared in two ways—
(1) Flowering tops of hemp plant are dried and
I then powdered and sifted. After this it is put
in a wet cloth and placed on a fire. When it
hardens and becomes solid it is used. This method
is mostly worked out in the vicinity of Kabul.
The charas thus prepared is of very high quality
and its color is black. (2) The flowering tops are
powdered and honey mixed in it and packed in
leather hags and kept for a year in the sun. After
a year it becomes solid and worth using. This
mode is tried in Yarkand. Charas prepared in
this way is of white color and of second quality.
Bhang
is prepared from both the cultivated and
wild plants. Dry leaves are slightly wetted and
put in an earthen pot and healed. After this
they are powdered and mixed with water and
drunk. Charas or ganja is not prepared from the
wild hemp.
16. Most people prepare bhang in their houses.
Those who have no houses collect at one fixed
place and prepare it for drinking. It is prepared