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28. (a) One pice to one anna.
(b) I have known men, sanyasis, taking 20
tolas a day, spending R3 for it. The minimum is
two annas a day.
29. Dhatura seeds are sometimes known as an
adulterant of ganja, but used only on rare occa-
sions.
30. These drugs are generally preferred to be
taken in company. Sanyasis take them with
Uttar Sadhaks, or disciples. Some smoke in soli-
tude for devotion. Females of lowest classes,
prostitutes and abandoned women, smoke it also.
Children of ganja-smokers, of singing parties, those
in bad company smoke ganja. Bhang is also
taken by them with their elders.
31. The habit is contracted easily. Three days'
smoking produces the habit. Once formed, it is
difficult to break off the habit. Like other
intoxicating drugs, taking a little leads to take
more.
32. Bhang is used in Bijaya Dasami. The
name Bijoya is suggestive.
During Lakshmi
Puja and Sivaratri fasting, etc. These are the
drowning the images of Durga, worship of the
goddess of fortune, and the fasting day said to be
observed by the great Mahadeva.
Ganga is used in excessive quantities during
Charak Puja, taking place on the last day of the
Bengali year. It is the worship of Siva joined
by lower-class men, who generally form the prin-
cipal factors of the puja. It is by no means
essential, for we do not use them on any occa-
sion.
33. Ganja-smokers and bhang-drinkers are
generally looked upon with hatred.
Educated
public opinion hates them. There is no religious
or social check. The ganja-khors are generally
hated. It is for their bad character that they are
so much hated. He is generally rude, violent in
temperament, lacking in all his duties, a bad son,
undutiful father, cruel husband, a troublesome
neighbour, and a bad citizen. He is a liar. If any
one speaks in a varnished language, it is said to be
a "ganja-khori galpa."
I do not know any custom of worshipping the
hemp plant.
The Mahanirban Tantra says,
"Modyam mansam tatha matsyam mudra mai-
thuna mabacha."
Wine, flesh, fish, fried peas and women are
mentioned as essentials of Sakti Puja, but nowhere
the hemp drug is used as such.
34. It may be considered a little hard, but the
difficulty is not insurmountable. There is no pro-
bability of any disease. Of the class (a) and (b) 50
per cent. will be much inconvenienced. Of the (c)
and (d) it will not be very hard. The sanyasis will
take it much to heart, as they are, as a class, in-
variably addicted to the vice.
35. It is perfectly feasible to prohibit these.
There may be probability of the drug being illicit-
ly consumed. To prevent consumption the tax
may be increased and the methods suggested in the
last chapter may be adopted. The prohibition will
give rise to no political danger; for the ganja-
smokers have very little influence over society.
The Government has faced questions of a greater
religious character, as the Sati or the Age of
Consent Act, with boldness; this is comparatively
a minor question, affecting only depraved men.
Prohibition will not increase alcoholism, but it
may give rise to bhang intoxication.
36. Rather alcohol is being substituted by these
drugs owing to the greater price of the former.
37. The effects of charas are milder.
3.8. Flat ganja is preferred, being more effective.
39. Smoking bhang is less injurious than taking
it internally, as the smoke, being more volatile,
loses its effect soon; while the drug taken by the
stomach has its influence in full over the constitu-
tion.
40. Bhang is used by kabirajes as medicine.
It is also used in homœopathy as Cannabis sativa.
It is also used in cattle diseases. Ganja is used in
European medicine as tincture and extract of Can-
nabis indica; but its effects are confined to a small
group of diseases. I do not know the use of charas
as medicine.
41. Even moderate use of these articles is not
beneficial.
(a) It first produces ravenous appetite appeased
by no food. Subsequently it impairs appetite. It
has no power of digestion like alcohol, nor is, like
it, a part of food. The diarrhœa and dysentery
produced by it shows that it is rather the opposite
of digestive.
(b) It alleviates fatigue, and gives staying-
power under exertion; but many drugs less in-
jurious have also the same power, as tobacco or
tea.
(c) It has no power of preventing fever, or any
febrifuge power, as people taking it are equally its
victim.
(d) Sanyasis allege that their object of using it
is to acclimatise them to every climate and to
inure them to bear the inclemency of weather.
I have seen it stated that ganja is useful during
famine and distress, as it acts the part of food and
makes up for its deficiency. But I cannot believe
that such a statement was ever seriously made.
Voracious appetite produced by its use is not econo-
my, nor does it give staying-power under starva-
tion. Among ganja-smokers those are known to
keep good health who take milk and other nutri-
tious articles of diet. But men living on sparing
diet soon die of bloody dysentery, asthma or phthi-
sis. So its economic or health-keeping power is
unauthenticated.
42. It is neither harmless. (1) It is not a neces-
sity to the system, and nature does not tolerate
any abuse; so what is unnecessary must be injurious.
(2) It is expensive. People are generally half-
starved, and even one pice a day is not a trifling
sum for many families. (3) Moderate habit can-
not be kept. (4) Even moderate smoking is in-
jurious.
43. Even moderate smokers get intoxicated, and
their rude behaviour makes them repulsive to their
neighbours.
44. It produces a pleasing sensation, rapid suc-
cession of pleasing ideas, talkativeness and merri-
ment. It produces a ravenous sensation not ap-
peased by food. Its effects last five or six hours;
often a whole day. Its after-effects are a head-
ache, a sensation as of the brain boiling over, and
lifting the cranial arch like the lid of a tea-kettle.
It requires a fresh chillum to revive the spirit.
45. Its moderate habitual use is also attended
with baneful results. It undoubtedly produces in-
jurious results to the constitution; even strong
men are pulled down by its continual use. A lean,
haggard, rude face, with eyes red and in the socket,
a. bony frame, indicate a ganja-smoker. It first
produces increased appetite, not satisfied by any
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