98
they can bear; but, for administration to others,
they admixture in large quantities, sometimes as a
matter of foul play, but often to rob men, parti-
cularly the passengers and travellers.
57. I never heard of ganja and charas as being
eaten or drunk.
58. The system of excise administration in re-
spect of drugs under the rules in force are working
well; but it is capable of improvement, as I will
show in my answer to the next question (59).
59. In two directions it is capable of improve-
ment. 1st.—That bhang should be divided into
classes—1st class for men, and 2nd class (coarse)
for cattle, with different selling rates, say 5 and 8
seers, respectively, per rupee; as at present it falls
very heavily on the poor villagers, cultivators and
cartmen who, with one class of bhang selling at
4 seers per rupee, cannot afford to give a sufficient
quantity to their cattle, and so cannot keep them
up to their full strength.
2ndly.—To meet all cases of urgency and at all
times when bhang is required for medicinal use
selected pansaris in towns and cities, and one or
two respectable banias in villages with 500 popula-
tion and upwards, be given licenses to sell bhang
not exceeding one chittack to any one person.
62. Hemp is not cultivated in this province.
63. I am of opinion that retail vend, or wholesale
vend, pargana war or tahsil war, would be more
advantageous both to Government and the public
than farming the whole district to one single man,
there being very few for competition in the latter
case, whilst we expect very many competitors for
parganas and tahsil vend.
64. No.
65. Looking to the rates given in answer to
question 28, I find that the selling rates per seer
come to 4 annas bhang, 60 annas ganja and 240
annas charas. The last two bear a ratio of 15
and 60 in comparison to bhang, and as it is the
ultimate incidence of taxing these drugs, I would
recommend some reduction or alteration in rates;
so that the poor classes, which form a large body
of ganja and charas consumers, and whose earnings
are very low, can leave something for their children
and enjoy a better life.
66. Yes, it is necessary, as different rates will
suit men of different circumstances in life. The
best will do for well-to-do men, the second class
for middle class men, and the third class for the
poor and low classes.
67. Yes, I have. The habit, when once formed,
becomes next to nature, and people addicted to
ganja and charas or bhang are ruined owing to
high prices. They consequently cannot keep their
body and soul together. What to say about their
family or children with their small earnings. I
would recommend for reduction of the tax to some
degree.
68. There were, but not now, many shops where
drugs used to be consumed on the premises.
69. No, I am strongly in favour of the consi-
deration of public opinion before any shop is open
in any locality, particularly in the dense of the city,
as it is a nuisance to the neighbours.
70. Not in my knowledge. Yes. In tracts where
wild ganja and bhang grow spontaneously, people
do take and use them without payment of any
tax.
NOTE.—Thore are several ways of removing the bhang intoxication—1st, by acid; 2nd, by a draught of pera and
water mixed together; 3rd, by saturating dal arhar in two or three chittacks water, and then giving that water for
drink, after straining it in cloth ; 4th, by application of salt (powdered well in water) over the crown of the Head ; 5th,
by any cooling draught causing flow of urnie ; and 6th, by a draught of inuli seeds.
58. Evidence of KASIM HASAN KHAN, Tahsildar, Bareilly.
4. The hemp plant is known as bhang and ganja.
5. It is not cultivated in this district, but it is
found in abundance growing wild in Kajhban
(forest of Kajh), and is made into charas in the
same quarter. I have myself seen it being prepared
by rubbing it with hand after having put on sam-
ber hide.
6. It grows dense.
7. No.
10. There are no cultivators of it in this district.
15. (a) People smoke ganja in chillums mixed
with tobacco.
(b) They smoke charas in chillums after putting
a layer of it between those of tobacco.
16. They do not prepare it in their houses in this
district.
19. Ganja and charas are smoked in chillums
generally, but some castes, as for instance, Kanonjia
Brahmaus, who do not smoke tobacco, smoke charas
by taking in through a tube, the smoke arising
from charas put on coal fire.
20. Poor men of low castes, such as kahars,
bhangis, chamars, kolis, use it in a large quantity ;
also men of small incomes of other castes, and well-
to-do Thakurs in villages smoke it. Generally
speaking men living from hand-to-mouth smoke it
and also Hindu beggars.
21. Three kinds of ganja are used. (1) Disawari
(imported one), which turns into grain powder by
being rubbed. (2) Pathari. (3) Baluchar. This
is preferred to others.
22. Charas is imported from the north-west.
That which comes from Kumaun is of the best
quality. On the western side it comes from Afghan-
istan, Yarkand, and Bokhara. The Bokhara
charas is the better of the two.
24. The consumers of bhang and charas form
about five per cent. of the population. Accurate
percentage requires investigation. Among Hindus
the consumers of bhang are Brahmaus, Banyas,
Khatries, Thakurs, etc., and also nearly all the
Hindu beggars and devotees ; and among Muham-
madans, some of the sufis and the tribe of beggars
use it.
25. Their use is increasing on account of intoxi-
cating drugs being easy of access.
26. The proportion per 10,000 is as follows :—
(a) 4,000.
(4) 3,000.
(c) 2,000.
(d) 1,000.
29. The consumers of bhang mix black pepper,
ajwain, saffron, almonds, ginger, cardamom, and
some people mix dhatura to increase intoxication,