86
33 The consumption of ganja and charas, and
also excessive consumption of bhang, have no
favourable opinion among the people. The habits
of consuming them are regarded as very low and
mean. The social opinion in regard to the prac-
tice is very unfavourable and scornfully against.
According to the Muhammadan religion they are
strictly forbidden. The use of all forms of the
narcotic is generally in disrepute, because its use
has always produced bad results, such as insanity,
immorality, weakness of constitution, and many
others. In this province there is no such custom
of worshipping the hemp plant on any occasion
and by any sect of the people.
34. It would not be a serious privation to any
class of consumers to forego the consumption of
the drug they use, for I have seen many cases of
excessive consumers of these drugs, who, when
they were put either in the gaol or in the lunatic
asylum, could live easily without the consumption
of the drug they used to consume habitually.
35. Yes, it can be practicable to prohibit the
use of all of these drugs, but by wise and gradual
measures. Yes, if stopped all at once, those who
are strongly and deeply addicted to the use of
these drugs, would consume them illicitly. The
prohibition could be enforced by wise and gradual
measures which, according to my humble opinion,
I have given on a separate paper annexed here-
with. If stopped all at once it will occasion dis-
content among the habitual consumers. But
such discontent will not amount to any political
danger. The prohibition will not be followed by
recourse to alcoholic stimulants, because both the
Hindus and the Muhammadans are strictly for-
bidden by their religions to use any sort of alco-
holic stimulants. But there is probability of
their taking to madak, opium or dhatura.
36. As regards this province, I have no reason
to think that alcohol is now being substituted for
any of these drugs.
37. Charas affects on the system sooner than
ganja and more strongly. By smoking charas
seldom sudden deaths occur as in apoplexy.
38. The round ganja, viz., baloo chur, has
stronger effect on the consumers than other kinds
of ganja (the flat and chur).
40. Bhang is prescribed by Hindu native doc-
tors ( i.e. , baids) in stricture, chronic gonorrh&oelig;a,
and heart diseases.
41. (a) Moderate use of bhang may be bene-
ficial in its effects as a digestive.
(b) Moderate use of both ganja and charas can
give staying power-under severe exertion or ex-
posure, and to alleviate fatigue.
(c) No.
(d) In no other way.
Labourers use ganja to have staying-power
under severe exertion and to alleviate fatigue. It
is the moderate occasional use of the drug which
I refer to.
Ganja, and charas are not harmless in mo-
derate use, for ganja and charas even in habitual
moderate use affect the lungs and the heart.
43. Even the moderate consumers are often
very offensive to their neighbours. Even by mo
- d e r a t e u s e o f t h e s e d r u g s t h e c o n s u m e r b e c o m e s
very irritative and peevish, and so is always as
thorn in the side of his neighbour.
44. The immediate effects of even the moderate
use of ganja and charas on the habitual consumer
are the burning of throat and violence of temper.
Yes, though refreshing to the consumer, but
dangerous and offensive to others. Yes, it pro-
duces intoxication, but not so much as to make
the consumer senseless. Yes, it allays hunger.
No, it does not create appetite. The effects of
both ganja and cb arbs laat or six hours. The
after-effect is idleness. Yes, the want of subse-
quent gratification produces longing for them.
45. Yes, even the habitual moderate use of
ganja and charas and bhang do produce very
noxious physical, mental, and moral effects. Yes,
ganja and charas impair the constitution while
bhang makes unusually fat and produces broncho-
cele and hydrocele. Ganja and charas injure the
digestion and cause loss of appetite. Yes, ganja
and charas cause dysentery, bronchitis, and asthma,
and bhang affects urinary system. Yes, ganja
and charas and bhang also impair the moral sense
and induce laziness and habits of immorality and
debauchery. Yes, ganja and bhang deaden the
intellect and produce insanity. I, while in charge
of the Lunatic Asylum, have marked that more
than 50 per cent. lunatics are caused by ganja
and charas and bhang. They cause mostly per-
manent insanity, and that insanity is very violent
in the beginning, and lastly he becomes an idiot.
The insanes do not confess to the use of the drug,
if they have no recorded history of ganja.
46. Habitual excessive use of any of these
drugs leads to the above-mentioned harms, very
rapidly and strongly.
47 and 48. No hereditary habit. But the
children are often led to follow the example of
their father.
49. Yes, the moderate use of all these drugs is
practised as an aphrodisiac. Yes, it is so used by
prostitutes. Those who are habitually given to
the use of these drugs, get no injury by using
them for this purpose, but those who are not
habitually given to their use, get injury on
their lungs and hearts. By excessive use the
hemp tends to produce impotence.
51. Almost all are of bad characters.
53. Yes.
5 4 . Y e s , t h e s e d r u g s a n d o t h e r i n t o x i c a t i n g
things are always used by criminals to fortify
themselves to commit a premeditated act of
violence and other crimes. Whenever any one
goes to murder, theft and other horrible crimes,
he always takes some narcotic or alcoholic stimu-
lant.
55. Yes, criminals often, in order to further
designs, induce their victims to partake of their
ganja or charas and so stupefy them. Those who
are not addicted to the use of these drugs can be
completely stupefied by these drugs without ad-
mixture.
56. (a) The effects of these drugs even in
moderation are injurious, as I have shown before.
(b) It becomes more dangerous when modified
by the admixture of other substances, such as
dhatura, etc.; dhatura is generally mixed for ad-
ministration to others.
57. In this province broken ganja leaves are
drunk instead of bhang, for bhang is not produced
in this province.
58. The present system of excise administra-
tion in this province is favourable to the increase
of the use of these drugs.
59. Therefore in order to discourage the use
of these drugs, the number of shops selling these
drugs should be reduced, and should be placed at