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sold the licenses for shops separately, and I found
that the prices bid for some of the shops which
had formerly been established were very low, and
this I thought sufficient justification for reducing
such shops. Formerly there were fourteen shops
for the whole district, and now there are only six.
The total amount paid for licenses has not, how-
ever, fallen off in consequence of this reduction.
The inference I draw from this is that the places
for which licenses have now been granted are the
places where the consumers principally live, and
that shops at other places are not required.
I have no experience whatever of ganja. There
is none consumed in the Shahpur district. If
through the restriction of charas people wished
to take to ganja it would have to be imported, and
it could be restricted in the same manner as charas.
I recently had all the intelligent and respectable
Hindus of the district assembled in connection
with the ascertainment of their tribal customs.
I asked those who wished to have opium restrict-
ed to stand up, and no one stood up. I then
asked those who wished the present system of
dealing with opium continued, and they all stood
up with acclamation. I then put the same ques-
tions regarding charas and bhang, and nearly the
whole assembly stood up for prohibition; for con-
tinuance of the present state of things only one or
two stood up. These said that fakirs would suffer,
and the others said that would not matter: they
would soon get over it. Some of the assembly,
even of those who declared for prohibition, were
themselves moderate consumers of bhang. They
had clearly bhang as well as charas before their
minds. Several of the persons were dealers in
opium, and very few, if any, dealers in the hemp
drugs. There were about 100 present at this
meeting, mostly shopkeepers, from all parts of
the district, and representative of the best feeling
of their class.
A number of the more respectable object to
charas, because their young men get tempted by
the fakirs to use it and ultimately join that body.
Some of the excessive smokers of charas have
themselves expressed regret to me that they ever
took to the habit, much in the way that excessive
consumers of liquor will do. These men were
fakirs; but a fakir in Shahpur is not only a re-
ligious devotee, but often an idle good-for-nothing
who assumes a religious character.
15. Evidence of LALA MULRAJ , Extra Judicial Assistant Commissioner.
2. These definitions are correct. In the Punjab
bhang is called also vijaya, buti and sukha.
Charas is also called sulfa.
3. Hemp plant grows spontaneously in the
Kangra, Gurdaspur and Rawalpindi districts.
4. The plant is known by the name of bhang.
18. Ganja, charas and bhang deteriorate by
keeping. These drugs keep good for a year if
kept with ordinary care.
24. Idlers in all classes drink bhang. Among
Sikhs and 6adhus generally, the proportion of
persons who drink bhang is relatively greater than
among other people. In winter bhang is more
generally eaten than drunk.
29. Ordinarily black pepper is mixed with
bhang in drinking, and sometimes almonds, poppy
seeds, cardamoms, seeds of melons, aniseeds, salt,
sugar and milk.
80. These drugs are used by the male sex.
33. The smoking of charas and ganja is consi-
dered disreputable.
35. The prohibition of the use of these drugs
would occasion discontent among the consumers.
The prohibition would not be followed by recourse
to alcoholic stimulants. The use of alcohol is
considered objectionable from a religious point of
view among the generality of people.
40. The use of bhang is prescribed on account
of its medicinal qualities by vaids.
41. The moderate use of bhang may be benefi-
cial and promotes appetite,
43. Moderate consumers are inoffensive to their
neighbours.
49. Bhang is sometimes used as an aphrodisiac.
51. Bad characters generally use these drugs.
16. Evidence of MR. J. A. ROBINSON, Excise Officer, Lahore.
1. As Excise Officer of Lahore district for
several years.
2. I have always been given to understand that
the tender leaves of the hemp which contain this
resinous matter are pounded and made into charas.
Ganja is not used in the Lahore district. Charas
is also known here as "soolfa."
Bhang as
"booti" by Muhammadans and as "sookka" by
Hindus.
6. Scattered in places where it grows spontane-
ously in this district (Lahore).
7. My experience is of two districts only, in both
of which hemp is not cultivated.
15. Charas undergoes no preparation for smok-
ing; bhang is pounded and made into a drink with
addition of pepper, sugar, almonds, melon seeds,
etc. A sweetmeat, majun, is made with sugar,
and the active principle of charas or bhang
obtained by cooking with ghee, which is then
strained and mixed with the sugar.
16. The drink is. Yes. Not charas. Ganja
not used here.
17. Charas is imported and needs no prepara-
tion for smoking; bhang is also imported and
consumers make the drink for themselves. Majun
used to be made by sweetmeat sellers, but its
preparation has been interdicted, the men being
unlicensed.
18. Charas and bhang. Yes, keep good for
about three years (though gradually deteriorat-
ing); after three years is not of much value, and
after five or six years utterly valueless.
19. Ganja not used in this district. Charas
for smoking only. A very limited quantity of
charas used formerly to be used in the manner
described in answer to question 15.
20. Principally lower classes and fakirs. Can't
say what proportion; few among the middle and
higher classes.