243
28. The average cost of ganja per diem to
(a) Habitual moderate consumers may be one
anna at the least,
(b) Habitual excessive consumers may be at
the most 8 annas or a tola's weight=
4 annas.
The cost of bhang to either of those classes is
nominal.
29. Tobacco is ordinarily mixed with ganja to
adulterate it. I do not know if anything else is
exceptionally mixed with this drug. I do not
know also if dhatura is ever mixed with it
If it
is at all mixed, it must be by ascetics, who are
habitual excessive smokers.
Some spices and a
little salt is mixed with bhang. Tobacco is mixed
with ganja, as I am told by a ganja smoker, for
the purpose of preventing the ganja being burnt
to ashes quickly. As a rule, ganja cannot be
prepared for consumption without mixing tobacco.
Bhang massalas are of various kinds, according
to the choice of the consumers of different locali-
ties. In Calcutta bhang massala is sold in the
bazaar, but I cannot say what its ingredients are.
30. I have already said I have no knowledge
of charas. It is the habit of the ganja smokers
to take it in company. But people of the upper
and middle classes generally take it in solitude.
Females of ill-fame almost all smoke ganja in
moderation. It is not restricted to any time of
life. Boys below ten or twelve scarcely ever take
a drug like ganja. But among the ascetics this is
not uncommon. It is not at all usual for children
to consume any of these drugs.
31. I do not think the habit of smoking ganja
has to be acquired slowly, but when it is once
formed, it is difficult to break off. Habitual use
of bhang can be easily formed and easily broken
off. There is a great tendency in the case of
ganja for the moderate habit to develop into the
excessive, but fortunately the price of this drug
having been raised from Rs. 4 to 16 or 20 per
seer, the people can hardly afford to smoke in
excess. I know many men who care very little
to provide necessaries to wife and children, or
even to himself, but spend all their available means
in purchasing ganja.
32. I know there is a religious custom among
the lower classes of Hindus of Eastern Bengal
who worship an ideal god named Tinnath, in which
ganja is absolutely necessary. Boatmen, culti-
vators, labourers, or menial servants of Hindus, after
the day's labour and after supper, meet at one
place and each purchases one pice ganja, one pice
betel, and one pice of oil. There they smoke this
ganja, and chew betel, and sing songs in the name
of that god till the oil is burnt. Though only
one pice of ganja is required for the religious
custom, men consume more ganja and induce
others to get into the habit. I am told that of
late this custom is disappearing.
33. Bhang is not very much used in Lower
Bengal; in Behar it is much used; it is not in
disrepute. Ganja is the worst sort of intoxicating
drugs, and it is very much in disrepute. All
societies of Bengal (except the ascetics) hate it as
most disreputable, and think that it is only, if at
all necessary, fit to be taken by the meanest of
mankind. Such a sentiment is due to the fact
that people who use it become as a rule hot-tem-
pered, violent and ugly.
I have already mentioned before that certain
low class Hindus require ganja to worship a god
called Tinnath; but I am not aware that ganja
itself is worshipped by any class.
34. It will be certainly a serious privation to
forego the consumption of ganja—(a) to ascetics,
(b) to fishermen, (c) to labourers in swampy
places.
The ascetics have no other means ordinarily at
their disposal to prevent cold except ganja. It
keeps them warm all the night and protects them
from cold.
Ganja like chilly is a climatic stimulant medi-
cine to those who always expose themselves to
cold and damp, and have not other means at their
disposal to prevent cold.
Those amongst the
people who have not got accustomed to ganja
frequently take strong tobacco instead.
The probable proportion of each of the above
three classes, to whom it would be a serious pri-
vation, may be, of ascetics cent. per cent., fisher-
men and labourers at least 30 per cent.
35. Charas is not, I believe, very much used in
Bengal, and therefore it may be feasible to pro-
hibit the use of it. But it matters little whether
it is prohibited or permitted to be used to the ex-
tent it is now used.
The use of bhang may also be prohibited, for
very few persons, except the ascetics, are really
in the habit of consuming it. Even those who
are habitual moderate consumers can easily break
off the habit. It is not necessary to prohibit its
use, as it does very little harm to the consumer
himself or his family or society at large.
It is a very difficult question to answer as to
the feasibility or otherwise of prohibiting the use
of ganja. But it is very desirable that the use of
it should be gradually restricted by imposing a
heavier tax. Already heavy taxation has done
some good, and it would be better if the tax
were gradually increased—people would consume
less.
If its use be suddenly prohibited, there is
no doubt that the people will try their best to con-
sume it illicitly, and the result will be to send many
people to jail, entailing the greatest misery to
their families. Prohibition can only be enforced
by gradually restricting its use.
There would be serious discontentment amongst
consumers if any law or order were passed all of a
sudden. But I do not think this discontent-
ment would amount to any political danger, at
least in Bengal, unless taken up by the popular
agitators to win the lower classes over for their
own political gain.
The prohibition would certainly be followed
by recourse to opium.
36. I do not think alcohol is now to any extent
substituted for any of these drugs. On the
other hand, I believe that this drug is taken instead
of alcohol, which is more costly and less easily
procured.
37. I am not in a position to give any answer
to this question.
38. I am told by a ganja smoker that there is
no difference in effects in kind or degree on con-
sumers by the use of the different preparations of
ganja (round, flat or chur).
39. I am told smoking of ganja or bhang is
less injurious than drinking or eating of the same,
for in eating or drinking, the entire property of
the ganga enters into the system.
40. Bhang is sometimes prescribed by the
kabiraj for both external plaster and internal use in
rheumatic pains, and also in case of diarrhœa.
The oil prepared from the seeds of ganja is often
used for rheumatic pain. I have also seen ganja
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