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51. Evidence of KAPUR CHAND, Honorary Magistrate and Gumasta, Raipur.
I. I have lived in Raipur for twenty-three
years, and have taken ganja contracts in the feuda-
tories of Bastar and Kanker.
2. Yes, these definitions are correct. But I have
never seen "charas" here, though I have in
Marwar.
3. It grows in Bastar. I have been told by
my agents that they have seen as much as 50 or
100 plants growing in jungle, where no sowings
can have been done.
4 . I k n o w n o n e b u t g a n j a .
5. It wants matasi (light clay) soil and a good
rainfall.
6. Sometimes one and sometimes the other.
7. Yes, in the Bastar State. The tenants sow
what they want for their own use, and sell a little
occasionally, but there is no regular trade in it. It
is inferior ganja, the seeds being taken from the
wild plant.
8. It is on the decrease, because of its inferiority
compared with Government ganja, which is now
easily procured.
10. There is no special caste.
11. Yes.
12. No.
16. No. Bhang cannot properly be prepared
from the wild ganja. Ganja can be prepared
from the wild plant wherever grown, but, as I
have said, it is inferior.
17. No particular class.
18. Yes. They may with care be kept for four
or five years, but they generally deteriorate after
two or three. Damp is bad for them. They
should be protected from damp.
19. I know nothing about charas. Ganja is,
generally speaking, used only for smoking ; but
bhang drinkers, if they cannot get bhang, will
occasionally make bhang of ganja.
20. Generally low castes and sadhus, fakirs,
gosains, etc. No special locality.
21. Flat ganja is the best.
23. No.
24. No difference between (a) and ( b ). Hindus-
tanis (from north of the Ganges, and especially
from Muttra) and Marwaris are the principal
consumers. Among Marwaris all castes drink it.
25. Neither.
26. For bhang 40 per cent. are habitual
moderate consumers ( a), 30 per cent. are habitual
excessive consumers (b), 25 per cent. are occa-
sional moderate consumers ( c), and the remainder
occasional excessive consumers ( d).
27. (a) Are chiefly Marwaris,
(b) are Purbeahs and other Hindustanis,
(c) and (d) are of all castes.
28. For ganja.—(a) 1 1/2 annas worth 1 tola.
(b) 6
''
4 ''
For bhang—(a) One or two pice at 5 tolas for
(b) Five or six pice
3 annas.
29. With ganja ordinarily nothing is mixed.
Well-to-do people sometimes mix spices such as
" jawatri " and " jaiphal." Jogis and gosains
sometimes mix dhatura. This is to strengthen
the ganja.
With bhang a very few people mix dhatura.
Everybody mixes " massala." This consists of
Vol. vi.
kasni maloti, cucumber seeds, rose petals, almonds,
pistachios, black pepper, sugar, saffron.
30. Generally ganja smokers assemble in par-
ties of four or five. Habitual bhang-drinkers
drink alone. Excessive bhang-drinkers drink in
company. Very few women (5 per cent.) smoke
ganja and drink bhang. Children never smoke
ganja and very rarely indeed drink bhang.
31. (a) Yes.
(b) Yes.
(c) No tendency.
32. It has no connection with religion. But
bhang (not ganja) is usually largely consumed
at the Holi by all castes not only by habitual
consumers. This, however, is not a religious
festival. There is no such custom connected with
the Diwali or Dasera.
33. Government has classed ganja and bhang
in the same category, but there is a great differ-
ence between them. No one objects to bhang-
drinkers, but ganja-smoking is a vice. I cannot,
however, say that there is any strong public opi-
nion against it. It has its advantages and is
therefore not to be utterly condemned, like
madak-smoking. I know of no custom of wor-
shipping the plant.
34. Yes, in both cases. Ganja-smokers are
usually poor and cannot allow any more expen-
sive stimulant. Marwaris, etc., who drink bhang,
cannot touch liquor. Their caste forbids it.
35. (a) No.
(b) Yes.
(d) Yes, certainly.
(e) Yes. The fighting classes would create
disturbances.
(f ) Yes, in the case of the poor. Dhatura pro-
bably.
36. No.
38. " Chur " is less intoxicating than the other
two.
39. Yes, smoking is injurious ; it leads to asth-
ma, etc. Eating or drinking is not injurious.
40. (a) Yes—bhang. I don't know about
ganja. It is given for cholera (in which it is
sometimes a valuable remedy), for piles, and for
tertian ague.
(b) It is used in cattle-disease.
41. (a) Bhang or majum ( a form of bhang) is
useful as a digestive.
(b) Ganja-smoking gives staying-power and
alleviates fatigue for two or three hours. Bhang
is similarly useful, but its effects last longer.
(c) Both are useful as febrifuges.
(d) Bhang clears the intellect and facilitates
brain-work.
People who have to work hard use these drugs
for the above purposes. I refer to the moderate
occasional use.
43. No.
44. Ganja intoxicates in a quarter of an hour
and bhang in an hour. Ganja allays hunger and
bhang excites it. The effects of ganja last two or
three hours, and of bhang six hours. With both
there is subsequent languor, but this is more
in marked the case of ganja.
45. Ganja leads to asthma and bronchitis, but
not to dysentery. Bhang produces no evil effects,
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