217
57. I know nothing about eating or drinking
ganja or charas.
62. The cultivation of the hemp plant should
not be controlled. It would hardly be feasible.
69. The wishes of the people are never consulted
before opening a shop; but a shop is hardly ever
opened at a place where the consumption is ex-
pected to be nil or next to nothing.
78. Evidence of MR. W. SARSON, retired Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collec-
tor, formerly Abkari Superintendent, Chittagong.
1. My experience has been in the districts of
Backergunge, Mymensingh, Faridpur and Chitta-
gong, where ganja is not cultivated, and charas
and bhang not used; hence my answers to
numerous questions must be nil and otherwise
limited.
3. As stated above, I have never been in dis-
tricts in which ganja is grown; hence I cannot
answer this and the following questions.
7. There is a wild species of hemp to be found
in this district which the natives call bhang; it
is self-sown. It does not grow extensively, the
reason being, perhaps, that the Excise officers do
not permit it to grow; always have it cut down;
at least they did so in my time.
12. It has never come to my knowledge.
13. No ganja is cultivated in the districts of
Backergunge, Mymensingh, Faridpur and Chitta-
gong.
18. Ganja deteriorates after a year. The old
ganja is always burnt under the Board's rules. In
a couple of years I should say it would be per-
fectly useless. No charas and bhang are brought
to this district for sale.
19. As far as my knowledge extends, ganja is
used only for smoking. I have no knowledge of
charas.
20. All classes of the people smoke ganja,
especially the lower order of them, such as coolies,
chamars and fishermen.
21. I have only knowledge of the flat in my
time, and that was the kind used by all classes.
23. I have heard that the wild bhang mentioned
above is used by the natives for smoking and
drinking when they had the chance. It is not
restricted to any particular class or locality.
24. See above answer.
25. I believe the use of ganja has much de-
creased of late owing to the high rate of duty and
price of the drug, and not from any disinclination
on the part of the consumers if they could afford
to purchase it.
26. I am sorry I cannot answer this question.
I have no data to go upon.
28. This depends entirely upon one's means.
A native will spend as much as a rupee a day
for ganja, while a poor man will content himself
with a few pice worth.
29. I know nothing about this.
30. A ganja-smoker generally likes to have his
friends around him, who are also ganja-smokers.
I have not heard of women or children smoking
ganja.
31. The habit is easily acquired, but it is diffi-
cult to break off. It grows upon one.
32. I am not aware of any such customs.
33. I do not believe that the use of ganja lowers
one in the social scale among his own class. I
have never heard of the hemp plant being wor-
shipped by any seet.
34. It would be a serious privation if a ganja-
smoker did not get his ganja.
35. I do not think it would be wise to deprive
a ganja-smoker altogether of his ganja. As it is,
the high price of the drug has limited his con-
sumption. This rule would apply to opium and
consumers of other narcotic drugs also. Perhaps
the prohibition would lead to alcoholic stimulants.
36. I am not aware of this,
37. Charas is not used in this district; at least
it was not so in my time.
38 and 39. Cannot say.
40. I have heard of ganja being administered
to cows for certain diseases.
41. To a ganja- smoker the use of ganja is
beneficial to keep him in health.
42. It is beneficial.
43. I believe so.
44. It is good to him in every respect. It
exhilarates him, and makes him enjoy his food.
He has to take several smokes during the day to
keep him up to the mark. I refer to ganja-
smokers.
45. I do not believe that the moderate use of
ganja, spirits, opium, or any other drug can,
or does, produce any harm to anybody. It is
the abuse of these things that harms one. Speak-
ing for myself, I found that tobacco-smoking did
not agree with me, and I have left it off with
much benefit.
47 and 49. Am not aware of it.
58. I am not acquainted with the present sys-
tem of excise administration, so cannot express any
opinion.
79. Evidence of MR. W. M. SMITH, Retired Deputy Magistrate and Deputy
Collector, Sonthal Parganas.
1. I have been in charge of the Excise Depart-
ment of the Sonthal Pargana district, and also of
the excise of some of its sub-divisions; lately of
the sub-division of Deoghur.
2. Yes.
3. I have only seen it growing in one place, a
deserted indigo factory in the Rajmahal sub-divi-
sion.
4. I forget the local name.
5. I have no information.
7 and 14. No.
18. All deteriorate, and perhaps quite lose then
effect in time. Ganja more than a year old is
hardly saleable. I don't know what are the causes
2 H