219
butter, etc., is called majum. It is used for eat-
ing as a confection by the dissolute.
16. Yes. It can be prepared from the leaves
of the hemp plants grown only in the plains and
also in the lower hills. In cold countries the
narcotic passes away into the resins which exude
through the leaves and the flowers. The wild
plants do not yield ganja. Charas can, however,
be obtained from the wild plant.
17. By the ordinary agricultural classes.
18. Ganja, retains its narcotic qualities for
about a year, after which it begins to deteriorate
and becomes absolutely inert after two years.
Ganja is a substance which is peculiarly amenable
to atmospheric influence, and its narcotic property
loses more or less according to the quality of
drug, the state of the weather, and the length of
the time it is kept in the godown. It is mainly
to the influence of the atmosphere that the de-
terioration caused to ganja is due. The deteriora-
tion may be prevented to a certain extent by min-
imising the risks of exposure to sun and air.
(Vide paragraph 122 of my report.)
19. Ganja is almost solely used for smoking,
but it is occasionally used for medicinal and reli-
gious uses. As a medicine it is used in cases of
itches and some other cutaneous diseases, and
an extract prepared from ganja on the scientific
method by the medical authorities of India is also
used, I understand, in case of malarious fever, etc.
Offerings of ganja are sometimes made to the
tombs of Muhammadan saints or Pirs.
Charas is used only for smoking; never for any
medicinal purposes. I understand that it is
sometimes drunk, but I am not personally aware
of such a practice.
20. As a rule, the hemp is not smoked by the
agricultural classes; the artisan class and the syces,
sweepers, and palki-bearers, and a few persons of
the middle class, as well as mendicants, make use
of the drug. To my estimation the actual total of
smokers in the Lower Provinces and the North-
West may be reckoned at about two lakhs of
persons. Habitual charas-smokers are very few in
Bengal. Charas is taken by ganja-smokers to
whip up the effect of ganja. It is difficult to
ascertain the number of charas-smokers.
21. See paragraph 23 of my report for answer
to this question.
22. Native and foreign charas are used, but the
Himalayan charas is preferred and fetches a
higher price. Foreign charas is imported from
Central Asia, Ladakh, Yarkand, Turkistan and
Herat.
23. Bhang is now very seldom used for smoking.
24. Up-country people, such as darwans, etc.,
generally drink bhang. In Bengal the habit
was at one time very prevalent, but it is now fast
disappearing.
25. The use of all kinds of hemp drugs is
steadily decreasing. The habit is looked upon as
a low one, and the effect is considered to be very
baneful, hence the decrease of consumption.
26. It is very difficult to make an estimate of
such a proportion. Generally the ganja-smokers
are habitual moderate consumers, but the jogis,
sadhus, and mendicants may be classed as habitual
excessive ganja-consumers.
Siddhi and charas
consumers may be classed as occasional moderate
consumers. Very few cases are to be met with of
excessive consumption of these two drugs.
27. The people who take the hemp drugs gen-
erally belong to the classes who have to earn
their bread after a considerable manual labour.
The drugs are used by such people as food acces-
sory, refreshing, stimulant, or occasionally for
intoxication.
28. A habitual moderate consumer of ganja
smokes on an average a drachm of the drugs per diem
which costs him about two pice, while a habitual
excessive consumer can smoke an ounce or more
a day, and the cost proportionately increases.
Habitual moderate consumers of siddhi general-
ly take from half to two tolas a day, while an ex-
cessive consumer's dose varies from three to five
tolas.
29. Ordinarily the drugs are taken by them-
selves, except bhang, which is mixed with aniseed,
pepper, sugar, etc.
Dhatura is mixed with bhang or ganja to pro-
duce uncontrolled intoxication for the purpose of
committing some violence. The drugs are also
mixed with other dangerous drugs, such as nux
vomica and strychnine, etc.
30. The consumption of hemp drugs is generally
confined to adult males. Children and women
are seldom found to take these drugs.
31. Yes, the habit is easily formed. In my
experience, I have found that the habit is difficult
to break off. Yes, I think there is a tendency to
develop into the excessive habit.
32. The only social or religious occasion on
which siddhi is taken in Bengal is on the last
day of the Durga Puja, when friends, relatives
and guests are offered a drink of siddhi, and it is
essential that every one should at least put a drop
of it on his tongue. Yes, this use is essential.
It is temperate generally. No, it is not likely
to lead to the formation of the habit.
33. The consumption is generally regarded
with great disfavour. The practice is looked
upon by the society as low and disreputable. The
sentiment is attributable to the injurious effects
of the drugs by their abuse. I do not know of
any such custom.
34. Yes, it would be to a certain extent, as the
people who are in the habit of taking such drugs
must have to satisfy their longing for intoxicating
substances by other costly exciseable articles, such
as alcohol, etc., or by equally or more deleterious
drugs prepared from wild plants (paragraph 133
of my report).
35. (a) No.
(b) Yes.
(d) Yes, to a certain extent.
(e) I do not go so far as to think that the
prohibition will lead to a political danger.
(f) Yes.
36. My reference leads me to believe that
alcohol is not being substituted for any of these
drugs.
37. The effects of the two drugs are almost the
same, though I am positively of opinion that
charas is much milder than ganja.
38. In kind the effects of these drugs seem to
me to be the same; they are only different in
degrees.
39. Ganja and charas, if eaten or drunk like
bhang, is decidedly far more injurious than the
usual form of taking them by smoking. These
drugs, when taken internally, have a very strong
physiological effect. The habitual moderate use
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