80
41. Charas smoking is digestive. It stimulates
appetite and under its influence a man relishes the
food he eats, and he can eat more than he otherwise
would without fear of indigestion. It alleviates
fatigue. Under the influence of charas a man can
make a long journey without minding the fatigue.
It gives staying-power under severe exertion or
exposure.
The fakirs use charas generally for its effects, as it
helps them to go about without clothing, and make
them accustomed to the exigencies of climate, etc.,
but others who have taken to smoking charas do
not do so at first for its medicinal properties, but
when once they have become accustomed to it, they
begin to look for its virtues. The good effects de-
rivable from charas result from moderate habitual
use or moderate occasional use if the man can stand
its effects ; for instance, one who has never smoked
tobacco would not be able to stand the effects of
charas when he first takes it, and in his case the
good effects will be lost. It is therefore the habi-
tual moderate use that produces the above effects.
42. Moderate use of charas, like tobacco, is cer-
tainly harmless. It is not beneficial ; one would
be much better without charas than with it. A
habitual moderate use with nourishing and rich
diet is not at all harmful.
43. A charas smoker, even if he is an excessive
smoker is inoffensive to his neighbours. A moder-
ate consumer is certainly inoffensive. It is difficult
to distinguish between a habitual moderate smoker
and a total abstainer.
44. The immediate effect of smoking charas
on a habitual smoker is a little intoxication, a sen-
sation of rest and general satisfaction, and a tem-
porary forgetfulness of pain or misery. It does
not allay hunger ; on the contrary, it sharpens
hunger. Its effect lasts for an hour or two. A
smoker's desire for anything that he may set
his heart upon is very keen, especially in eatables ;
and if he does not get them he becomes very miser-
able.
45 and 46. Habitual moderate use of charas does
not produce any noxious effect at once ; and if the
habit is well kept under control and the man can
afford to take nourising and rich food, which charas
helps to digest, no ill effect may be perceptible.
But in case of excessive smoking the evil effects
show themselves sooner or later according to the
smoker's constitution, and in the case of moderate
smoking the evil effects in milder form become
visible after a man attains to age of 40 or 45.
The evil effects are : Brain gets weak or softened ;
man becomes forgetful ; lungs are impaired, as-
thma, cough, and bronchitis are produced ; eye-
sight is weakened ; body becomes lean and emaci-
ated ; man becomes lethargetic and incapable of
making any kind of exertion. But it does not
lead to immorality or debauchery. A hemper, on
the contrary, becomes a reflective person and sym-
pathises for others in trouble and abstains from
many vices. Over use of charas sometimes leads
to idiotcy or insanity.
47 and 48. It is not hereditary. A son may learn
from his father, but he does not inherit the habit.
No effects are perceptible on the children of
moderate smokers or habitual excessive smokers.
49 and 50. Excessive charas smoking shrivels up
the body and deadens sexual appetite, and some-
times leads to impotency. Some moderate con-
sumers, males generally, smoke charas to prolong
the sexual enjoyment. It is injurious to a man's
constitution, as it causes greater strain on his
nerves, and the exhaustion is consequently greater.
51 and 52. Charas smoking does not necessarily
lead to any criminality. Criminals may smoke
charas, but it does not follow that a charas smoker
may become criminal. It may in one sense. If a
charas smoker does not get money to buy charas,
he may be induced to commit theft ; but this can be
said of any evil habit.
53. As far as I know, a charas smoker may be-
come violent in language under its influence, but
he is not inclined to commit any crime. It has no
suicidal tendency.
54. Yes. As every person who is addicted to
the use of charas takes it before he commences any
work, it gives to the smoker the power of con-
centrating his whole attention on anything that he
undertakes, good or bad, and he does it well, with-
out swerving from the course of action.
55. Bhang is said to be used by the 'thugs' in
order to stupefy their victims.
56. Except tobacco, charas is not smoked with
any admixture here, and tobacco does not affect
charas in any way.
57. Not in this country.
58 to 61. In this district, every year in August,
licenses to sell charas and bhang are put to auc-
tion. The places where license vendors sell are on
the pilgrim route to Badrinath and Kedarnath.
These people sell Arkand, a charas that comes
from the Punjab. The pilgrims prefer it to the
country-made charas, which is not so strong.
People are allowed to make charas, but they must
sell it to the licensed vendor only. But in this
there is not sufficient check. Those who prepare
charas sell it privately to those who smoke, and it is
very difficult to catch them. In this way a great
deal of charas that is produced in the country is
disposed of privately without the agency of the
Government contractor. It would stop illicit sale
if Government were to buy all country-made charas
and sell it to the contractors ; but so little charas is
made in this country, and the majority of con-
sumers, who are the pilgrims, prefer Arkand to the
country-made drug, that the trouble involved in
the system may be greater than the profit actually
accruing to Government.
62. Bhang is not produced in this country.
63. I think the present system, so far as charas
is considered, is quite suitable.
68. No.
69. No shops.
70. Tehri is the only Native State which adjoins
this country, but no charas is imported from that
country.
Oral evidence.
Questions 3, 4, 5 and 6.—There is only one kind
of hemp plant in Garhwal. It grows spontaneously
wild. It is also cultivated. The plant that grows
spontaneously has only very small seed : the
useful seed is that of the cultivated plant. The
cowherds make charas from the wild plant. They
take it out by rubbing out the resin with their
hands. They give it to smokers, fakirs, &c. They
make very little out of it. Urgam, where the
good charas is made, is about 8,000 feet high. The
superiority of the wild hemp is due to climatic
causes. This is the only place in Garhwal where
charas is extracted to any considerable degree, or
of good quality. The people say this is because it
grows near a temple of Shiva. Speaking general-
ly, the charas from the wild hemp is hardly worth
collecting to any extent. The leaves are converted