219
30. Ganja is smoked both in solitude and in
company. It is not confined to the male sex or
any time of life. Children take ganja in the form
of majun.
33. Use of ganja is socially held in disrepute.
It is considered a moral depravity.
40. Yes ; native doctors prescribe ganja for
weak children for medicinal purposes and also for
cattle.
51. No. None.
53. None that I know of. I know no such
case.
54. No.
55. Yes ; occasionally. Yes ; without admix
—ture.
58. The present administration calls for no
remarks.
60. There is no control at present, nor does it
require any.
63. None.
64. None.
65. I have no suggestion to make.
67. None.
68, There is one retail ganja shop at Arni,
where ganja is sold, but not consumed in the
premises.
69. Yes; the local revenue officers generally
make the enquiry in consultation with the police.
The public should be considered.
37. Evidence of M. AZIZUDDEEN, SAHIB BAHADUR, Deputy Collector, North Arcot.
1. Personal experience and information collected
from Tahsi ld ars.
2. As in Northern India, in this province also
three narcotic articles are obtained from hemp,
viz. :—(1) bhang ; (2) chains ; (3) ganja.
(1) Bhang is known in these parts by the name
of subzi also. Fakirs style it sometimes as fareed
—buti and also ashakanibuti, which means the love
— p l a n t . O u t o f b h a n g s e v e r a l p r e p a r a t i o n s a r e m a d e .
These are
—
( i ) Pannia.—This is a mixture of bhang,
pepper, and ginger.
(ii ) Majun .—This is a mixture of ganja
leaves, jaggery, and poppy.
(iii) Ph akki.—This is a mixture of chick pea,
parched rice, sugar, and ganja leaves.
(iv)) Poornadi .—This is also a preparation
like majun.
(2) Charas is the exudation of the flowers of
hemp collected with the dew, and prepared for use
as an intoxicating drug.
(3) Ganja consists of the dry flowering tops of
hemp. In these parts flat ganja or ganja com
— p r e s s e d i n t o f l a t s h e e t s i s a l o n e e x p o s e d t o s a l e .
Broken ganja, which in Northern India is called
chur, is in these places known as gurtha.
A mixture of toddy and ganja powder is also
used in some places of the presidency and is called
Lurki.
3. Hemp plant is grown, it is said, spontaneously
on the Javadi hills in North Arcot district.
4 to 6. Information is not available.
7. Hemp is cultivated in this division in Avala
—palli and Sadam, situated within the limits of Pun
— g a z u r z a m i n d a r i o n l y . T h e e x t e n t i s v e r y l i m i t e d ,
and it is planted only in back—yards.
8 . N o i n c r e a s e i n t h e e x t e n t c u l t i v a t e d .
9. Dry lands are ploughed four or five times
and manured, and then the seeds are sown broad
— c a s t . T h e p l a n t s e n t i r e l y d e p e n d o n d e w . T h e
cultivation is generally carried on in the month of
October or November, and harvested in January or
February. No second crop is cultivated. No cul
- t i v a t i o n i s c a r r i e d o n i n w e t l a n d , n o r a r e t h e p l a n t s
transplanted.
10. The persons who cultivate hemp plant are of
the same class as other agricultural classes.
Vol vi
11. 11. Not done in this division.
12. No.
13. No such restriction is known in this division.
The climate must be cold and snowy. There are
no parts in this division where the cultivation of
hemp would be possible.
14. Bhang alone is prepared in this division.
The extent is not known.
15. Wild hemp plant is not known in these
parts.
(a) Hemp is smoked in following ways. To
-bacco and ganja are well mixed together, and
smoked through a pipe, or a hukkah.
(b ) It is eaten in the shape of majun, phakki,
and poornadi.
(c) It is drunk in the shape of pannia, lurki, and
bhang. The mode of preparing these intoxicants
is given against question 2.
16. Bhang is prepared in the houses. It can be
prepared from the hemp plant wherever grown.
17. By all classes who consume the preparations
of hemp.
18. Ganja, charas and bhang deteriorate by
keeping. Ganja, detained for a year, loses its
effects, and towards the end of the second year, loses
all its effects. For four or five months it can be
preserved, if carefully kept without being exposed.
to air. Exposure to air deteriorates it. It should
be kept in an air—tight place.
19. Ganja is used for smoking as well as eating.
20. Some of the Rajputs, Mahrattas, Muham
-madans and Sudras smoke ganja. Charas is not
prepared and used in this division.
21. Flat ganja alone is available here and is
used.
22. Charas is not used in this division.
23. In these parts the leaves of hemp plant or
its flower tops go by the name of ganja. Bhang
is the name given generally to the preparation
made by the mixture of ganja and jaggery.
Bhang is not used for smoking.
24. Bhang is generally drunk by Mahrattas and
Rajputs. It is not eaten.
25. Is on the increase, this drink being cheaper
than that of liquor.
26. (a) About 75 per cent.
(b) About 15 per cent.
(c) and (d) About 10 per cent.
2 H 2