371
28. Bhang.
(a) One tola worth less than
. .
Massala worth less than . .
TOTAL .
(b) 10 tolas worth .
.
.
.
Massala worth .
.
.
.
TOTAL .
Rs.
0
0
0
0
0
0
A.
0
0
0
0
1
1
P.
1
2
3
6
0
6
The cost can of course be largely increased by
the use of expensive massalas.
29. Bhang. By ordinary people. (a) Black
pepper or saunf ; (b) Sugar, seeds of pumpkins,
etc.
By rich people, almonds and other expensive
ingredients.
These things are mixed to give special flavour.
Dhatura is only known to be mixed for the
purpose of committing a crime. Bhang massala
not known.
30. (a) Generally in company.
(b) Used more by males than females.
(c) Use by children said to be extremely rare.
31. The habit once acquired is said to be not
very easy to break off. But it can be so broken
off more easily than the opium habit.
32. It is said that the use of bhang is enjoined
in the Sikh Granth. When used by Sikhs before
a religious ceremony, it is generally taken as a
drink (sardai).
33. Except in Sikh "bungas" the consump-
tion of bhang and charas is generally in disrepute.
1 have not come across any custom of worshipping
the hemp plant.
34. The fakirs and others who habitually take
charas and bhang would undoubtedly consider it
a serious privation if they had to forego the con-
sumption of these drugs.
35. Seeing that the wild bhang grows spon-
taneously in many places, it would, in my opinion,
be impossible to prohibit its use. If prohibited, it
would certainly be illicitly consumed. It would
be well to put an import tax on charas and thus
reduce its consumption. To prohibit the use of
bhang altogether would cause discontent, and it
would still be used. 1 am not prepared to say that
there would be any political danger from such an
order. The order would be useless.
36. Bhang is still cheaper than alcohol. It is
said that the richer people who used to take bhang
are now more inclined to take alcohol.
40. I am told that bhang only is sometimes
used medicinally by native doctors ; it is also
prescribed in some cattle diseases.
41. Mahta Duni Chand, Civil Surgeon, says
that the moderate occasional use of bhang only is
beneficial if taken in very small quantities—
(a) as a help to digestion ;
(b) to give staying-power ;
(c) as a febrifuge.
But he says it ought only to be taken in very
small quantities, and not habitually.
Bhang is thus used medicinally as a rule only
by the poorer classes.
42. The same officer says that charas and ganja
are in no case beneficial, and in all cases harmful.
Bhang only is harmless if taken in small quantities.
43. Yes. But this remark applies only to con-
sumers of bhang.
51 and 52. I cannot say, so far as my expe-
rience goes, that the majority of bad characters
habitually consume any of these drugs, either in
moderate quantities, or in excess.
53. I know of no such cases from personal
experience.
54. Not usually.
55. Thi9 class of crime has not been common
where I have served.
56. I am told that bhang and brandy mixed
are sometimes used in moderation to cause intoxi-
cation or to raise the spirits.
It is said that dhatura is sometimes mixed with
bhang by criminals to stupefy their victims, but
1 have no personal experience of this.
58. The system is capable of improvement.
59. I would place an import duty on charas.
Nothing can be done as regards bhang.
64. See answer to No. 59.
65. Charas should be taxed as it enters British
territory.
67. See No. 65.
68. There are no such shops in the Sialkot dis-
trict.
69. No new shop has been opened for some
years. No shop should be opened without ascer-
taining the wishes of the residents of the locality.
70. There is at present no restriction in the
import of either charas or bhang into the district
from Jammú territory.
8. Evidence of MR. J. R. MACONACHIE, Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur.
1. Only the usual opportunities of a District
Officer, of twenty-two years' service, who mixes
freely with the people. I have served in many
parts of the province, but not on the frontier.
2. Ganja we know little or nothing about in the
Punjab, otherwise the definitions appear locally
correct.
The dry leaves of the hemp plant are commonly
known as bhang. Siddhi is a name used, I believe,
by fakirs. The Sikhs call it sukha. Another
name is bijya or vijya. Muhammadans call it
sabzi and sometimes buti ; a religious name is
Shivji ki patti, or buti.
Charas is the name for the resinous preparation
of the plant.
vol. v.
3. It grows largely in Gurdaspur, in the sub-
montane villages on the Ravi, at Doda too in
Shakargarh near the river, also in Chambh-like
places near Kanhwan. At Bhimbar too, on the
Jamu border of Gujrat, it grows strongly.
4. Bhang is the universally recognised name,
I think.
5. I do not know exactly ; good moisture ap-
parently is essential, hut I believe it is found at
any elevation from one to seven thousand feet or
even higher.
6. Generally dense.
7. (a) and (b) None I believe.
3 Z 2