110
side and thereby losing respectability. I am not
aware of any custom of worshipping the hemp
plant on any occasion by any sects of the people.
34. I think it would be a serious privation
to all classes of consumers to forego the consump¬
tion of ganja. The classes which consume ganja
are the poorest and lowest classes of the society.
Ganja, being the cheapest of all the intoxicants,
is consumed by the poorest class. If they have
to forego smoking ganja, they cannot possibly
take to other intoxicating articles, because they
are costly. If the consumption is stopped, they
would take to smoking dhatura or some other
deleterious drugs of wild growth. When I have
said that the whole lot of consumers would feel
the privation, I need not give the number.
35. I do not think that it would be feasible to
prohibit the use of ganja and bhang. The drugs
would be consumed illicitly. I doubt if the pro¬
hibition could be entirely enforced. The nature
of the country, the domestic arrangements of the
people, the peculiar zenana system of the country,
and the sympathy of the police and the excise
offices with the consumers, and the cost necessary
for the prevention, would, I am sure, thwart all
our attempts to prohibit the consumption of ganja
and bhang. The prohibition, I should say, will
create discontent among the consumers who would
naturally question the justice of the British
Government about their freedom of action. I
would not, however, anticipate any political dis-
content, because, loyal as the people are, they
would always bow down to the decision of the
sarkar. The prohibition would be followed by
recourse to dhatura or other drugs, but not to
alcoholic stimulant.
36. I don't think that alcohol is being sub¬
stituted for any of these drugs.
37. I have no idea about the effects of charas
smoking.
33. No, not at all.
39. I think that the smoking of any preparation
of hemp plant is a less injurious form of consump¬
tion than drinking or eating. The reason is that
any form of smoking is stronger and therefore
difficult to consume more than drinking or eating
it, which is easier.
40. I am not aware of these drugs being pre¬
scribed on account of their medicinal qualities by
any school of native doctors. They are not used,
so far as I know, in the treatment of cattle
disease.
41. The moderate use of ganja and bhang
may, in my opinion, be beneficial in its effects
as a food digestive. The moderate use of ganja
undoubtedly gives staying-power under severe
exertion or exposure and alleviates fatigue. Its
use acts as febrifuge and preventive of disease
in malarious and unhealthy tracts. It is said
that the use of ganja helps in concentrating
thoughts. The few of the upper class who use
ganja smoke it as digestive. All consumers of
the lower class use it to give staying-power or to
alleviate fatigue. Among the consumers whose
ordinary pursuits make them liable to exposure,
work in water or colliery, use it as preventive.
Under advice of native doctors, some people are
seen to get rid of chronic fever by smoking ganja.
Seventy-five per cent. of these smokers use ganja
for the above purposes. In the above, I only
refer to the moderate occasional use of the drug.
42. The occasional moderate use of ganja is
not only beneficial but also harmless,
43. Of all persons using intoxicants, one sort
or other, the ganja smoker is the most inoffensive
of all to his neighbours.
44. The moderate use of ganja invigorates the
habitual consumers. It is no doubt refreshing.
It exhilarates but does not inebriate. It allays
hunger but does not create appetite. Its effect
lasts about an hour. It is said that it has no
after-effects. I do not think that the want of
subsequent gratification produces any longing or
uneasiness.
45. I do not think that the habitual moderate
use of ganja produces any noxious effect—phy¬
sical, mental, or moral. It does not impair the
constitution in any way. It does not injure the
digestion or cause loss of appetite. It does not
cause dysentery, bronchitis or asthma. It does
not impair the moral sense or induce laziness.
On the other hand, it makes people active. I
do not think that it induces habits of immorality
or debauchery. It does not deaden the intellect
or produce insanity. So far as I know, insanity,
mental derangement, mental anxiety, often tend
to the indulgence of ganja, and people are said to
obtain relief in smoking ganja.
46. I am afraid habitual excessive use of ganja
produces mental derangement; impairs constitu¬
tion; brings on dysentery; deadens intellect and
induces laziness.
47. No, and does not affect in any way the
children of the moderate consumers.
48. No.
49. The moderate use of ganja and bhang is
practised as aphrodisiac by some. Some prosti¬
tutes do so use. I have no experience whether
this form of use is more injurious than its use as
an ordinary narcotic. I am not aware of ganja
smoking producing impotence.
50. Answer same as above.
51. No. The moderate use of ganja has no
connection with crime in general or with crime
of any special character.
52. Same as above. During my fourteen years'
experience as Judicial Officer, I hardly came
across criminals who are habitual ganja smokers
or that moderate or excessive use of ganja induced
them to commit crime.
53. No such case came to my knowledge.
There is nothing peculiar in ganja to incite unpre¬
meditated crime, violent or otherwise.
54. I have heard of this old story that robbers
and dacoits fortifying themselves with smoking
ganja commit dacoity or theft. Probably there
might have been some truth about this story a
century before, but in my experience as Deputy
Magistrate I never came across a single case of
the nature described in this question.
55. I have never come across such case. I do
not think that complete stupefaction is possible
by smoking ganja without admixture.
56. Ordinarily no substance except tobacco is
mixed with ganja. I have no knowledge if
admixture of other substance would make any
difference in its effect, either used in moderation
or in excess. I have no information regarding
the admixture of dhatura for personal consump¬
tion or for administration to others.
57. I don't know that ganja and charas are
eaten or drunk.
58. In my opinion the excise administration
of Bengal in respect of ganja is working very
well. Every system is more or less capable of