29
district; but in some places it grows wild and the
leaves are generally used as bhang. Wild hemp
is not cultivated in this district for the produc-
tion of ganja. It would be penal to do so.
14. Ganja and charas are not prepared in this
district. It is suspected that in a very few in-
stances leaves of wild hemp plant are used as
bhang. But the consumption of the so prepared
bhang is very inconsiderable.
15. The leaves of wild hemp plants are con-
sumed after being ground into a paste and then
dissolved in water and drunk.
16. Here bhang is not generally prepared by
the people in their houses. It can be prepared
from the hemp plant wherever grown. On
enquiry made it appears that charas cannot be
prepared from the wild plant, but ganja of very
inferior quality may sometimes be prepared.
17. Not applicable to this district.
18. Ganja, charas and bhang do deteriorate
by keeping. They quite lose their effect after
two years; with ordinary care they can be kept
good for one year. By long keeping they lose
the resinous matter and consequently their
narcotic power; deterioration after two years can-
not be prevented by any special measure.
19. As far as this district is concerned, ganja
is used only for smoking. Charas is very rarely
used in this district, and only by those who have
purchased it elsewhere within the prescribed
limits.
20. The ganja smokers of this district may be
classified as follows:—
Annas,
Brahmin and other high castes
6
Kamar, Tanti, Teli, and other Naba-
saks
7
Lohar, Bagdi, Bauri, and other lower
orders
3
TOTAL
16
Ganja is consumed more or less throughout the
district.
Charas is seldom used in this district.
21. Round and chur ganja are used in this
district indiscriminately, of which the latter is
more in requisition in Thana Sonamukhi. Flat
ganja is not at all used here.
22. Charas is seldom used; as a matter of fact
there is no shop for its vend.
23. Bhang is never used for smoking.
24. The bhang drinkers may be classified as
follow:—
Annas.
Up-countrymen passing through
the district or residing in it
12
Bhadralok class of the district
4
They drink and not eat bhang. As a rule the
sale of bhang is confined to the towns and large
villages, such as Bankura, Vishnupur, Sonamukhi,
Gangajalghati, Kotulpur, and Indas.
25. The use of ganja seems to be on the
increase. It appears that in the year 1892-93, 21
maunds 36 seers 11 chhitaks were sold against
20 maunds 30 seers 13 chhitaks in the year
1891-92, the increase being 1 maund 5 seers 14
chhitaks. The increase is due probably to the
closure of outstill liquor shops over a considerable
portion of the district and the high price at which
the Sadar Distillery liquor is sold.
There is reason to believe that many persons,
who formerly used to drink outstill liquor for its
cheapness, have now adopted the habit of ganja
smoking.
The use of bhang is on the decrease. In 1892-
93, 6 maunds 1 seer 4 chhitaks were sold against
6 maunds 27 seers 14 chhitaks in 1891-92, the
decrease being 26 seers 10 chhitaks.
26. The proportions of the ganja smokers in
this district may be taken as follows:—
Annas.
(a) Habitual moderate consumers
8
(b)
Do. excessive
do.
4
(c) Occasional moderate do.
2
(d)
Do.
excessive do.
2
TOTAL
16
27. Each of the above kinds of ganja smokers
is found more or less in all classes of people.
The smokers are generally people of moderate
circumstances.
The first step towards ganja
smoking is to be attributed to association with
people of loose character who are in the habit.
28. The average allowance of ganja per diem to
an habitual moderate consumer is 1/4th tola, at a
cost of one anna, and that to an habitual excessive
consumer is half a tola, at a cost of two annas.
An excessive consumer does not consume the
whole quantity singly, there being some people
who generally resort to his place of smoking, which
is ordinarily called his Adda, and join with him
without having to pay anything.
29. Tobacco leaves are ordinarily mixed with
ganja by excessive consumers, in order, as they
say, to increase the narcotic power of the drug.
Sometimes prepared tobacco is mixed with the
drug to sweeten the flavour, and this is generally
done by the moderate consumers. Dhatura is
seldom mixed, except sometimes by sanyasis, fakirs,
and sadhus.
Bhang massala is known and is sold for being
mixed with bhang. It consists of poppy and anise-
seed, black pepper, cucumber seed, and petals of
rose flower, and is sold in Calcutta, Hughli and
similar large towns. It is not in use in this
district.
30. Ganja is smoked both in company and in
solitude.
Bhang and charas are used in solitude.
The use of ganja is mainly confined to the
male sex, of the grihasta class; among women,
the majority of prostitutes smoke it.
The use of bhang is also chiefly confined to the
male sex both for the sake of pleasure and for
medicinal purposes. There are also some women
who use it for medicinal purposes only.
The use of charas, as observed elsewhere, is very
limited in this district, and those who use it
belong to the Bhadralok or respectable class.
Ganja, charas and bhang are seldom used by
the people before they are 20 or 25 years of age.
It is not usual for children to consume any of
these drugs.
31. The habit of consuming these drugs is
easily formed, but it is difficult to break off the
habit of smoking ganja. There is a tendency in
the case of these drugs for the moderate habit to
develop into the excessive.
32. In Hindu mythology the god Siva was the
greatest of ganja smokers, consequently in every
religious ceremony relating to him or to his