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The lower class of people. I refer to moderate
habitual and moderate occasional use.
42. Yes.
My reasons are—
(1) It makes a man work harder.
(2) It makes a man digest his food.
(3) It is said malarious diseases do not so
much approach him.
(4) It improves the general health.
(5) Ganja smoking helps concentration of the
mind for jog (meditation).
43. Yes.
44. It is refreshing to one who makes a moder¬
ate use of it. It produces a slight intoxication.
It does not allay hunger. The effect lasts for an
hour or so. It has no after-effects. The want of
subsequent gratification does not produce any long¬
ing or uneasiness. It increases appetite. The
effect of siddhi lasts for a longer time than that of
ganja.
45. (a) It makes a man dull and stupid for a
time.
(b) No.
(c) No.
(d) No.
(e) Produces laziness.
(f) No.
(g) I know of a man who used to smoke ganja
excessively of two annas a day. He became mad,
but after he had given it up, his intellect was
better, and he could work, but had vacant looks,
always looked stupid, and was always lazy. Was
a timid sort of a man.
46. Ganja and charas.—The man loses his
mind and physique. It impairs his constitution;
it injures digestion; it produces asthma, and
brings on other chest complications. It produces
laziness and insanity. It makes a man lose his
temper and commit violence.
47, 48 and 49. Can't say.
51. No. It has no connection with crime.
52. Many of the bad characters take ganja to
excess for the purpose of committing a violent
crime, such as dacoity, robbery, murder, etc., etc.
Those who drink siddhi do not commit crime.
53. Yes, excessive indulgence does incite to
unpremeditated crime. I know of no case in which
it has led to temporary homicidal frenzy.
54. Yes, ganja is so used.
55. (a) Yes, siddhi is so used.
(b) No. Siddhi is mixed with dhatura and
given to the victim to drink. He drinks it
unconsciously and becomes completely stupefied.
56. If a man is drunk with siddhi, he is given
ghi and the juice of jack leaves to drink to moder¬
ate the alcoholic strength. I know of a case in
which siddhi, pepper (round), and dhatura were
ground together, made into a paste, and then
mixed with water and drunk. The man was dead
drunk for nearly twelve hours, after which he
came round.
57. Ganja or charas are not eaten or drunk
here.
58. The Excise administration is working well,
and is not capable of improvement.
60, 61, 62, 63 and 64, No.
65. Yes.
66. Yes; there should be different rates for
different kinds of ganja. Chur pays a duty of
Rs. 8, while flat or round pays less. This is reason¬
able, because there are no stalks in the former.
67. No,
68. Yes. In my opinion smoking in the shop
should be discouraged, because it may tempt other
people to smoke it.
69. No. It is not necessary.
70. There are no facts regarding the importa¬
tion or smuggling of hemp drugs from Native
States. Yes, duty is paid,
46. Evidence of BABU GANENDRA NATH PAL, Kayasth, Deputy Magistrate and
Deputy Collector, Naogaon.
1. As special Excise Deputy Collector of Hughli
and Howrah, Excise Deputy Collector of Noakhali
and Backergunge and Subdivisional Officer of
Naogaon, having the entire control and supervi¬
sion of the cultivation, manufacture and export of
ganja, I had opportunities of obtaining the in¬
formation upon which the following answers are
framed.
2. The definitions given by Dr. Prain may be
accepted for the Bengal Province. The dried
leaves of hemp plant, wild or cultivated, are locally
called bhang.
Charas is unknown to this subdivision. The
resinous matter which sticks to the feet when
ganja is trodden by the cultivator is neither col¬
lected nor used as narcotic in this subdivision.
The local names of the ganja produced in Nao¬
gaon are—(1) chipti or flat ganja; (2) mehidal or
flat ganja shorn of all its big branches; also
locally called flat small twig; (3) gol or rora or
round ganja; (4) chur or broken ganja, whether
obtained from flat or round ganja.
3. Hemp plants grow spontaneously in Jessore,
Backergunge, Dacca, Hughli, Howrah and Noa¬
khali. I think they are abundant in Jessore.
These plants have no narcotic in them and are not
used as ganja. Some people collect them and use
as siddhi by drinking it.
4. It is known as siddhi or bhang, and refers
exactly to the same plant.
5. I believe wild hemp may grow in any part
of lower Bengal. The climate, soil, rainfall, ele¬
vation, etc., make very little difference in the
growth of wild hemp. It begins to grow in the
cold season, and dies as soon as the cold season is
over.
6. The growth of the wild hemp plant is ordi¬
narily dense.
R 2