477
7. There is no cultivation of hemp plant in this
district.
14. The products (a), (b), (c) are not produced
in this district.
18. These three drugs deteriorate by keeping
and lose their effects in time. Ordinarily they
do not lose their effects within two years.
19. Charas and ganja are used, as far as I know,
for smoking only.
20. Generally low class people use ganja.
Charas seldom used by the people of this district.
21. Flat ganja is generally preferred here.
23. Bhang not used for smoking.
24. Bhang is very scarcely used for eating, but
generally for drinking by a few of the upper class
people.
25. I think decreasing, but unable to state
any reason.
27. Ganja is generally used by the labouring
classes, and also by those who frequent houses of
ill fame. Bhang is generally used by people hav-
ing bowel complaints. Charas is not in use here.
28. Habitual moderate consumers use about 9
pies worth ganja per diem, and the habitual exces-
sive consumers use about 11/2 annas worth ganja.
Three pies worth of bhang is used by excessive
consumer.
29. Tobacco leaves are ordinarily mixed with
ganja. Salt, pepper and water are ordinarily mixed
with bhang. Sugar is now and then used. Dha-
tura is not used. Admixtures are for making it
more palatable.
30. Ganja is generally smoked in company by
the male sex. Prostitutes now and then use it.
Bhang in solitude only, generally for medicinal
purposes by the male sex. Children never use these
drugs, excepting bhang for illness; and that also
scarcely.
31. Habit is not easily formed; can be easily left
off. There is no tendency to develop into excess.
33. The public opinion is against the con-
sumers.
34. No serious privation to forego their use.
35. It would be feasible to prohibit their use. It
would be difficult to consume them illicitly. The
prohibition can be enforced by stopping licenses
and importation. Will not cause serious discon-
tent. No political danger will follow. Prohibi-
tion would not be followed by a recourse to (a) or (b)
36. No.
38. Round ganja not in use here. There is no
difference between the other two.
40. Bhang is used by native kabirajes.
42. Moderate use harmless.
43. Yes.
47. These drugs do not produce any hereditary
effect.
51. Bad characters use ganja.
53. I know of two or three cases of homicide
committed by persons under ganja intoxication
during my experience of last twenty years.
62. Wild bhang produced in this district are
not used by the bhang consumers, as their quality
is not good.
63. I have no objection.
I think bhang should be excluded from the list
of exciseable articles, as it is generally used in this
district for illness
only.
64. No, excepting bhang.
65. I think the taxation is good, or else the
number of consumers would increase.
66. I think different rates unnecessary.
67. I have no objection to the taxation of ganja
and charas, but I think bhang should be excluded.
68. There are no such shops in this district.
224. Evidence of BABU AMVIKA CHARAN MAZUMDAR,* Vaidya, Pleader and
Zamindar, Faridpur.
1. As Chairman of the Faridpur Municipality
for nearly six years, I have had occasionally to
visit ganja shops within the municipal limits, and
as a landlord I have frequently come in contact
with my tenants belonging to the Chandal class,
which supplies the bulk of ganja-smokers in the
district. During my fifteen years' practice at the
bar, I have besides dealt with some cases in which
ganja-smokers were concerned.
2. These definitions may be generally accepted
as correct. Siddhi or bhang, charas and ganja are
the three narcotic articles obtained from the hemp
plant. Siddhi consists of the dry leaves of the
male hemp plant. The resin which exudes from
the flower and leaves of the female hemp plant is
charas. Ganja consists of the dried flowers or
flowering tops of the female hemp plant. In this
district charas is almost unknown. The flat, the
round and the chur ganjas are respectively called
chapti, gol and chur ganja. The dry leaves of
the wild hemp plant are generally known as
bhang.
3. It has been found on enquiry that the hemp
plant grows spontaneously in the Dacca and the
Rajshahi Divisions, as well as in some parts of
the Presidency Division. I have seen it growing
in the Backergunge and Faridpur districts. My
information is that it grows abundantly in Raj-
shahi.
4. Of the hemp plants those that are male, are
here called bhang or siddhi, and those that are
female are called ganja plants. The two plants
are generally distinguished by the following
characteristics:—The leaves of the male plants
are comparatively broader. Then as flowers appear
in the female plants, its leaves begin to fall off by
themselves. There is also a kind of siddhi plant
which is certainly female, for flowers are seen in
them; but no ganja is produced out of these plants.
5. The wild hemp is generally found in com-
paratively high grounds, but in the midst of pits
and hollows where water is seen to accumulate
and stagnate in the rainy season.
6. The growth of wild hemp is in some places
dense, but is ordinarily scattered.
7. I am not aware of hemp being cultivated
anywhere in Bengal for use as siddhi; though
it is sometimes seen to grow in the compounds of
a man who uses it, and where the refuse are
generally thrown. At Naogan sub-division, in
the district of Rajshahi, hemp is cultivated under
the management of Government for the produc-
tion of ganja, but neither for charas nor for
siddhi as I understand from the local ganja gola.
* Was invited to attend at a meeting of the Commission for oral examination, but failed to appear.