105
55. Evidence of RAJA SETH GOKAL DAS, Banker and Landowner, Jubbulpore.
20. I estimate roughly that 75 per cent. of
the people take ganja in some form or another.
35. I do not anticipate that ganja smokers
deprived of the drug would have recourse either
to opium or to liquor.
45. I am of opinion that ganja smoking is
an injurious habit. It is a widely spread one,
and is not confined to any special classes or
sects, although gosains are specially addicted to
it. I have never known a case in which ganja
smoking has ended in madness or violent crime,
but I have known many cases in which health
has been injured or destroyed.
65. I should recommend an increased duty
on the drug, so as to bring it beyond the means
of a larger number of the people.
56. Evidence of RAI BAHADUR SETH TIKA RAM, Brahmin, Money-lender and
Malguzar, Narsinghpur.
1. By personal observation of the condition of
the consumers of the drugs in this (Narsinghpur)
district and by hearing about them.
2. Ganja is not cultivated since the last fifteen
or sixteen years in this district. Ganja and Indori
bhang are imported. The former is brought
from Khandwa.
10. It is not cultivated in this district.
13. The cultivation of ganja has been prohi
- b i t e d b y G o v e r n m e n t s i n c e t h e y e a r 1 8 7 8 i n
this district.
14 and 16. They are not prepared in this dis
- t r i c t .
19. Ganja is used only for smoking in this
district, and occasionally, when it is necessary
to do so, it is administered as medicine after
being mixed with other things.
Charas is neither imported nor used in this
district.
20. Twenty per cent. of the lower classes of
peopl e, and 5 per cent . of t he mi ddl i ng cl asses
of people may be said to smoke ganja in this
district.
Charas is neither imported nor used in this
district.
21. Only the Khandwa ganja is imported and
used in this district. No other ganja is import
- e d .
22. No kind of charas is imported or used in
this district.
23. Bhang is not used for smoking in this
district.
24. Bhang is very rarely used in this district.
The number of habitual eaters and drinkers
among the middling classes of people may ordi
- n a r i l y b e 2 p e r c e n t . , a n d o f t h e l a t t e r i n t h e h o t
weather 5 per cent.
v o l . v i .
25. The smoking of ganja appears to be some
- w h a t o n t h e i n c r e a s e i n t h i s d i s t r i c t . S o m e o f
the non consumers even begin to smoke by the
company of consumers, when they are in com
- m u n i c a t i o n w i t h t h e l a t t e r .
26. The number among the lower and mid
dling classes of people—
(a) of habitual moderate consumers of ganja
is 10 per cent.;
(b) of habitual excessive consumers of ganja
is 5 per cent;
(c) of occasional moderate consumers of ganja
is 5 per cent ;
(d) of occasional excessive consumers of ganja
is 5 per cent.
The number of habitual and occasional mode
- r a t e c o n s u m e r s o f b h a n g a m o n g t h e m i d d l i n g
cl as s es of peopl e i s 2 and 5 per cent . , r es pect i vel y.
27. Consumers of ganja among the lower class
- e s o f p e o p l e a r e 2 0 p e r c e n t . C o n s u m e r s o f
ganja among the middling classes of people are
5 per cent.
Habitual drinkers of bhang among the mid
-dling classes of people are 2 per cent. Habitual
drinkers of bhang among the middling classes
of people in the hot weather are 5 per cent.
28. A habitual moderate consumer of ganja
may be using 6 pies worth of ganja daily, and
an excessive consumer of the drug over one anna
worth of it. A habitual moderate drinker of
bhang may be using 3 pies worth of bhang daily
and an excessive drinker about 6 pies worth of it.
29. No ingredient other than tobacco is mixed
with ganja. Some people mix anise seed, white
succory, cardamoms, almonds, sugar, etc., with
bhang before they use it, but no dhatura is mixed,
and if it is done so by any one, it may be for the
purpose of producing senselessness or causing
an excessive intoxication.
30. As a rule the consumption of ganja is prac
- t i s e d i n s o l i t u d e , a n d g a n j a a b o u t t w o m a s h a s a n d
bhang three to six mashas in weight are used at a
time. If there be one or two companions, ganja
three or four mashas and bhang at the rate of
three mashas for every person, and in the case of
excessive drinkers six mashas are used. The use
of ganja and bhang is specially confined to the
male sex. No children consume them. On com
- i n g o f a g e , h o w e v e r , t h e y b e g i n t o u s e t h e m a t
any time of their life they please.
31. The habit of using the drugs is easily con
-tracted by keeping communication with a consum
- e r . I t i s s o m e w h a t d i f f i c u l t t o s h a k e i t o f f . B y
constant use the habit gets strengthened, i.e., a
consumer commences to use the drugs in larger
quantities.
32. There appears to be no social or religious
custom.
33. The use of every intoxicating drug is con
- s i d e r e d t o b e b a d . T h e o p i n i o n o f t h e c o m m o n
public as well as my own opinion is that the use
of such drugs is disgraceful to the people generally
and especially to those who deal in money or busi
-ness of any kind. There is no custom of worship
- p i n g b h a n g p l a n t s i n t h i s d i s t r i c t .
34. Undoubtedly it is difficult to give up the
use of ganja and bhang. But the persons who
use them in smaller quantities and not from long
time will find it less difficult to do so than those
who have been long accustomed to them and use
them in larger quantities. The number of such R
vol. vi.