95
26. Ganja.—The proportion of the consumers
are:—
(a) 8/16.
(b) 1/16.
(c) 4/16.
(d) 3/16.
As regards charas and bhang—Nil.
27. Labourers do not use it much. A large
proportion comes from what is known as the
bhadralok or middle class, who are comparatively
well-to-do. Bad company mainly leads to the
habit.
28. The average cost per diem for an habitual
moderate consumer is about 1/12 of a tola or 6 pies
worth per day of ganja. For an habitual exces-
sive smoker it is 3 annas.
One of the habitual excessive smokers named
Gour Pande uses yearly about 3 seers of ganja,
daily about ½ tola weight, 2½ annas worth.
One Jata Babaji of Mahespur spends 5 annas per
day for one tola of this drug.
29. Only dry tobacco is mixed with ganja;
no dhatura is mixed. The object of mixing to-
bacco with ganja is to make it tasteful, to pro-
duce flavour and prevent coughing.
No "bhang massala" is sold in this sub-divi-
sion.
30. Ganja is mostly used in company. It is
mainly confined to the male sex. It is not usual
for children to smoke it, though some are known
to take to it. Generally the sons of habitual
ganja smokers begin the practice early. Other-
wise it is not consumed till the age of twenty is
passed.
31. It is easily formed if smoked for about two
months or so. It is difficult to break off the
habit. An old ganja smoker (habitual excessive
smoker) says that an habitual smoker may leave
it off gradually, but may be liable to be attacked
with some sickness. There is a tendency for a
moderate habit to develop into the excessive.
32. There is no such custom with regard to
ganja. Sometimes siddhi is offered to the Hindu
goddess Durga on the last day of the Puja. It
is also poured on the head of the deity Siva.
Sometimes the offer is made with certain signs,
after which the drug is taken away as "prosad"
and distributed amongst the worshippers. This
is not compulsory and is not much conformed to
here.
33. Ganja smokers are called in contempt
"ganjeras" or "ganjeri." They are looked down
upon and are never believed or trusted. It is
considered disreputable to be a smoker. A man
who is addicted to it is called a "nisakhor," the
habit being regarded as a vice. Even moderate
smokers suffer in reputation.
Gour Pande, one of the excessive smokers of
Pakour, says that even when he speaks the truth
no one believes him, and if a son of his took to
ganja smoking, he would thrash him severely.
It affects the brain and destroys the body and the
consumer is never trusted. Ganja or the hemp
plant is never worshipped.
34. It would be a privation to the excessive
smokers only.
Thirty-four would be the probable number of
the excessive smokers in my sub-division. There
are no charas or bhang consumers here, and these
drugs are not sold in this sub-division.
35. It would be feasible to prohibit the use of
these drugs in this sub-division. It would be
consumed illicitly if the prohibition did not extend
to the whole province. It would occasion dis-
content among consumers who are in the minority,
but not among other persons. It would not
amount to a political danger.
It is said that if ganja is stopped, consumers
would smoke dry tobacco and would not have
recourse to alcoholic stimulants to any large
extent, and would not take to other drugs.
36. There is no reason to believe that alcohol is
to any extent being substituted for these drugs.
37. The effects of charas smoking are said to
be worse than those resulting from ganja
smoking. Charas is stronger than ganja.
38. The effects are the same.
89. Ganja smoking is said to be worse than eat-
ing or drinking bhang, The latter does not in-
jure the body and brain as much as charas and
ganja, as it is not used excessively or regularly.
40. [The answers from No. 40 refer to ganja
and not to bhang or charas, which are not used
here.]
Ganja is not used here for medicine for human
beings or cattle.
41. (a) Ganja is not used as food for diges-
tion, nor does it help digestion.
(b) To the habitual smoker ganja may give
power of endurance for a time, but when the effects
wear off the reaction causes distress.
(c) Ganja smokers as a rule say they use it
as a preventive of disease, though when they com-
menced the habit, it was not with this object.
After acquiring the habit they continued it, believ-
ing themselves more liable to be attacked by sick-
ness if they gave it up.
(d) In no way as regards ganja.
No class really uses it for any of the purposes
mentioned in this question.
Not known about charas and bhang.
42. Ganja is not beneficial. Moderate use is not
harmless. Long use of the drug, though com-
menced in small quantities, is harmful to the con-
stitution.
43. Moderate smokers are inoffensive to their
neighbours, but excessive smokers are not.
44. Moderate use of ganja stimulates, excites
and refreshes persons addicted to it. Does not
allay hunger. Produces appetite and intoxication
for about an hour. The want of it does not pro-
duce much longing or uneasiness. Habitual ex-
cessive smokers are always in a state of intoxica-
tion. They always crave for it and feel uneasy
until it is obtained. The after-effects in such
smokers are pain in the limbs and lassitude; no
such feelings are experienced by moderate smokers.
45. If the moderate consumer does not take
ghee and milk in abundance, ganja will make him
thin and impair his constitution. It does not in-
jure digestion or cause loss of appetite. It does
not cause dysentery, but produces bronchitis and
asthma. It impairs the moral sense so far that
he becomes untruthful and shameless, knowing
that he is not credited, being addicted to vice. It
induces laziness, but not habits of immorality and
debauchery. Regular and long use of the drug
deadens and weakens the intellect and it is said
sometimes causes even temporary insanity, parti-
cularly if the regular quantum is increased on
special occasions. The symptoms may be rein-