454
advance money and profit by it do not belong to
that class.
11 and 12. No.
13. The cultivation of ganja is restricted in the
districts of Bogra, Dinajpur and Rajshahi. The
cultivation is impossible in khiar (as opposed to
alluvial) land.
14. The ganja and charas are prepared in the
ganja tracts. I know not to what extent.
15. The cultivated ganja is prepared in this
province in the method described by Dr. Prain,
and is used for smoking only. The wild plant
bhang is used to a small extent for eating and
drinking purposes. The lower order of people
use the seeds of cultivated ganja for eating pur-
poses.
16. The bhang is occasionally prepared by the
people in their houses.
Not that I know of.
19. Yes.
20. In the ganja tracts 75 per cent. of the
people are more or less addicted to ganja-smoking.
The lower and poorer classes of people, the
sanyasis and the bairagis, use the drug more fre-
quently.
21. In this part of the country the chipti (flat
ganja) is generally used for smoking, but the
round one is preferred.
23. No.
24. Not more than 5 per cent.
25. The use of ganja is on the increase.
28. The habitual moderate consumer's average
allowance per diem does notexceed half a tola,
and does not cost more than two annas, but the
excessive consumer can smoke one tola or even
more.
29. Yes, occasionally; the object of mixing
dhatura is to make it stronger and more effective
where the consumer cannot afford to pay for the
price of the larger quantity of ganja he would
have otherwise required.
30. No.
31. Yes. It is not very easy to break off the
habit. Yes, there is such tendency.
32. There is no social or religious custom pre-
valent in the district which make the consump-
tion of these drugs necessary. The moderate use
of ganja and bhang is said to be enjoined in the
Hindu Tantras, but it is observed more in the
breach.
33. The hemp-smokers are often hated. The
public opinion (both social and religious) is against
the practice. The use of the narcotics in excess,
except for medicinal purposes, is held in disrepute,
as the people addicted to these vices, render them-
selves useless to the society, become prey to the
innumerable ailments, lose their mental activity,
cultivate all the beastly propensities which the
human mind may be subject to, and impoverish
the family. There is no custom of worshipping
the hemp plant prevalent in this part. It is not
even heard of.
34. No, no serious privation.
35. Yes, it is feasible gradually. It cannot be
done by one stroke. The only way to make it
practicable is to gradually diminish the area under
cultivation. If half of the area at present culti-
vated is only allowed to cultivate in the next year,
and if there be an annual decrease of 10 per cent.
in the succeeding years, it may be fairly hoped
that it would be feasible to prohibit the use of
ganja to a great extent for intoxicating purposes.
Care should also be taken to raise the market price
by doubling the rate of the standard duty now in
vogue. The drug does not grow in any other
tract than those defined in my answer to question
No. 7. And if strict vigilance is enforced in that
tract, the illicit consumption will be rendered
almost impossible. Of course, it would occasion a
sort of discontent among the excessive consumers
for some time, and will not last long. There are
evidences in the jail records that the ganja-
smokers, who are imprisoned for a considerable
time, are not allowed to smoke ganja in the jail,
and they do not feel much distress by it, and they
actually give up the habit when they are released.
The political danger is out of question. In some
cases the prohibition may be followed by recourse
to alcoholic stimulant known as toddy, but the
proportion will not be significant.
36. Not that I know of.
40. Bhang is used by the kabirajes for medicinal
purposes. The hemp is indigenously used for
external application in itches, humours, etc.
41. The moderate use of bhang for a limited
time is known to be digestive, but it is injurious,
if continued for a length of time. The moderate
occasional use of ganja (but not bhang) is said to
have alleviated fatigue and given staying-power
under severe exertion or exposure, but there is
always a re-action and depression afterwards. As
to (c), there is no medical opinion in its favour,
but the ganja-smokers are heard to extol the
drug in such a manner, which, I think, they are,
as a rule, bound to do. The drug is never used
for sale purposes mentioned in (a), (b), and (c),
for we have never seen any one, who is not a ganja-
smoker, to smoke ganja for those purposes, but the
ganja-smokers are reported to have said that.
42. The occasional moderate use of the drug
may be harmless, but to be temperate in these
intoxicating drugs is next to impossible.
43. Yes.
44. Yes; according to the habitual ganja-
smokers it is refreshing. The moderate use (by
which I mean a chillum at a time) of ganja is not
known to have produced any sort of visible in-
toxication in habitual consumers. It does not
allay hunger, except when the man is insensible.
It creates appetite for the time being, but it has
bad after-effects, as dyspepsia, want of appetite,
dysentery and other ailments akin to indiges-
tion. The want of subsequent gratification certain-
ly produces longing and uneasiness.
45 and 46. Yes; but, as I am not a medical man,
I am not in a position to discuss the question in
detail.
47 and 48. Yes, to a certain extent.
49. I know not whether it is used as aphro-
disiac. It is said to be used by the prostitutes
during their menses to prevent conception, and
so it may produce impotence.
51, 52, and 53. The smoking of ganja excites
anger, and, as such, does probably tempt the con-
sumers to crime.
54. I know not whether criminals do actually
stupefy their victims by the use of the drugs, but
they may easily do if they like. Yes, complete
stupefaction is possible by this drug even without
admixture in a person not used to it, but serves
the purpose better when mixed with dhatura.