65
subsequent gratification produces a longing,
which is, however, easily controllable.
45. Habitual moderate use of ganja or bhang
is not known to produce any noxious effects,
physical, mental or moral.
46. The Assistant Surgeon, Doctor Nobin
Chandra Dutta, writes as follows:—
"Habitual excessive use of ganja produces
decidedly injurious effects upon the physical,
mental and moral nature of man. It impairs the
constitution. Excessive ganja-smokers are, as a
rule, thin and emaciated. Their appetite and
digestion fails. I have knowledge of more than one
case of asthma which could be attributed to no
other cause. Instances of dysentery from excessive
use of ganja have also come under my notice. Im-
pairment of moral sense is not marked. It does
not induce laziness or habits of immorality or
debauchery. Excessive ganja-smokers are known
to be sexually weak and incompetent. It certainly
dulls the intellect and weakens the mind. I
have no doubt of insanity being produced by
excessive smoking of ganja. Though insanity is
marked by violence and excitement and is of a dis-
tinctly maniacal type, it may be temporary or
permanent. I have experience of one case of tem-
porary insanity re-induced by use of the drug after
liberation from an asylum. I have no knowledge
of any symptoms of ganja insanity which may
be called typical. I have known cases where
no desire for obtaining relief from mental
anxiety or brain disease was found; but pure love
of amusement in bad company has induced the
ganja habit, which has ultimately ended in
insanity. I have no knowledge of insanity tending
to indulgence in ganja by a person deficient in
self-control through weakened intellect.
"I have at this moment in my mind's eye a
man whose whole course of life as a ganja-smoker,
from the 18th to 33rd year of his age, I have
had opportunities of watching. I consider this
man a typical case for illustrating the effects of
ganja-smoking on the physical, mental, and moral
nature of man. As a boy, this unfortunate man
possessed a singularly amiable disposition, and
more than average intelligence. Physically he was
not well-built; but his constitution was by no
means worse than that of the average native of
Lower Bengal. When he was about 18 he fell
into bad company, and contracted the habit of
smoking ganja, which he quickly indulged in for
about two years. Gradually he rose to excess; then
certain very remarkable changes came over him.
He ate little; sometimes he omitted one or two
meals. There was a tremor in his limbs and voice,
and occasionally his eyes were bloodshot. A sort
of dogged, determined look appeared on his face,
and he grew irritable and quarrelsome. At times
he would get into a sudden passion for a trivial
cause, and become extremely noisy and violent.
He had certain absurd ideas of his own about
things, and no argument or reasoning could con-
vince him of their absurdity or incorrectness.
According to these ideas, he insisted upon doing
certain things to the great annoyance of his
friends and relatives. He was so determined that
he could never be dissuaded unless by actual force.
He was at this time absolutely truthful in what
he said or did, and honest in pecuniary matters.
He carried his truthfulness sometimes to a most
ridiculous length. At one time he was living
with a friend who used to find fault with him for
his ganja habits, and reproved him for being
incorrigible. This made him very angry, and he
left the house swearing that he would never pass
its threshold again. He kept his word by passing
in and out through the windows.
"In the growing excess in smoking he wasted
away in physique and looked quite thin and ema-
ciated; but his habits were active and could bear
cold, damp, and exposure to an extraordinary extent.
In the last eight years it has been his practice
to get up at about 3 o'clock in the morning in all
seasons, and from that hour till 8 or 9 o'clock he is
found standing often up to his waist, and some-
times up to his neck, in water in the river or tanks
performing his ablutions or puja, without being
any the worse for it. He is seldom found to use
any warm clothing in the winter. In the last two
years he has developed signs of insanity. He
sleeps badly, goes without food for days, lies and
cheats, travels distances for no apparent purpose,
talks incoherently, and is angry at the slightest
provocation, and sometimes on no provocation at
all, when he is very violent, bursting into fits of
incontrollable frenzy."
47 and 48. Have no experience.
49 and 50. Ganja is smoked as an aphrodisiac by
men. The aphrodisiac action of the drug lasts
during the period of intoxication produced by it.
Prostitutes are not known to use it as such. Ex-
cessive use of ganja tends to produce impotence.
51. Moderate use of ganja or bhang has no
connection with crime.
53. The effect of excessive indulgence in ganja
is either stupefying or exhilarating, according to
the constitution of the man using it.
The Assistant Surgeon, Doctor Nobin Chandra
Dutta, writes to mea s follows:—
"I have known a case of a ganja-smoker who
had to be kept tied down for more than twenty-
four hours to prevent his causing violence to
his neighbours and to members of his family. I
should think this was a case of temporary homi-
cidal frenzy."
54. Criminals habituated to ganja-smoking are
known to fortify themselves to commit premedi-
tated acts of violence by repeatedly smoking it.
Those who are unaccustomed to it sometimes drink
bhang for the purpose.
55. Bhang is used, often mixed with dhatura
seeds.
56. Admixture of dhatura with ganja enhances
the intoxicant effect of the latter. Dhatura
seeds are mixed with bhang for administration to
others with criminal intent.
57. No experience.
58. Is capable of improvement.
59. The shops are now settled by competition,
and owing to a paucity of bidders some shops are
settled at a very low fee. The result is the retail
selling prices of ganja are different in different
shops. If the system of issuing ganja to licensees
only in proportion to the amount of license fees
paid by them be introduced, not only would it
reduce the quantity of ganja sold, but would also
bring the retail selling prices to one and the same
level, prevent unhealthy competition, and check
illicit sales.
60 and 61. Nil.
62. No control is necessary or practicable.
63 and 64. No.
M