247
27. Men of all classes of the people are in the
habit of smoking ganja, drinking bhang, etc.
The fakirs, baisnabs, sanyasis, and other classes
of men, who are almost homeless and have no
friends, generally smoke ganja or drink bhang.
Several middle-class people, who could afford to
pay for drinking before, owing to backward cir-
cumstances or for want of means, when they be-
come poor, generally become ganja smokers or
bhang drinkers at last, and lead a life of misery.
School-boys who have a tendency for music take
first to moderate ganja smoking and then go to
the excess and fall in life.
28. (a) Two annas a day for each moderate.
(b) Eight annas a day for each excessive.
29. Tobacco leaf is ordinarily mixed with ganja
for smoking. To make the bhang drink strong
sometimes dhatura seeds are mixed with bhang,
but is done by the sanyasis. Bhang massalas
are—mouri, pepper, milk, sugar, almond, etc.
30. Men of some respectability and sons of
gentlemen consume these drugs in solitude, but the
habitual consumers of higher class of people form
a company and smoke in solitude too, but others
consume it publicly and do not care for society.
31. The habit of consuming these drugs is easi-
ly formed. When the habit is formed it is difficult
to break off, and gradually moderate smokers go
to excess.
32. There is no custom essentially necessary for
social or religious purposes, but the smokers gener-
ally make a rule among themselves as to who will
become Shaivas of Trinath's worshippers, and, with
a view to allure others, give out that ganja smok-
ing or bhang drinking is necessary. Illiterate
men commonly fall victims to such allurement.
33. All the sober men hate these consumers but
the jogis and sanyasis, who pretend to lead a reli-
gious life generally, for their good-will are regard-
ed and their habits overlooked. On Durga puja
submersion festival day, it is a general custom
among the Hindus to drink bhang in a moderate
dose, but this custom does not affect in any way
the society.
34. The gentlemen class may, with little diffi-
culty, forego the consumption, notwithstanding
they might have been habituated from a long
time past, by substituting opium or liquor in its
place; but for the others, such as the lower class of
people, whose means do not afford for such substi-
tution, and the sanyasis, who do not and cannot
take liquor, etc., it would be a little difficult for
them to give up the habit at once About three-
fourths of the total consumers of these drugs con-
sist of sanyasis and poor men, who would feel
some difficulty in foregoing the use.
35. Prohibition of the use of ganja might be feasi-
ble, and illicit consumption might not take place
as ganja does not grow wild in all places. Though
some sort of discontent may arise among the lower
class of smokers, it would not last long and would
soon die away, and no political danger could be
apprehended. A few consumers having means to
use alcoholic stimulant might go to that side by
the prohibition.
36. Alcohol in certain places has been substi-
tuted for ganja, but such substitution is very few,
as smokers very seldom rise to position and society.
41. May not.
42. The use of ganja and bhang always pro-
duces injurious effects. The ganja smokers often
become hot-tempered, and cannot have control
over their passions, They often get dysentery
which ceases their existence.
43. No. They are always troublesome, except
one or two per cent.
47. Yes, to some extent.
53. I know of two cases in which two ganja
smokers committed murders—one for gain and
the other in heat of provocation.
91. Evidence of MR. H. P. WYLLY,* Government Agent at Keonjhar, Orissa.
1. About eleven years' administration of Native
States in the Orissa Gurjat Mahals.
2. Yes, with regard to bhang and ganja.
3. Is grown in all the Orissa Gurjat Mahals.
To what extent, careful local enquiry only could
denote; but its cultivation in these Mahals is
fairly extensive.
4. The plant is locally named according to size
of the leaf buds, i.e., the tree yielding the big
bud is called the Bhaluki; that yielding small
bud is known as Cheli-neuda.
5. The Mahals alluded to vary from 200 to
1,500 feet above sea-level. They are liable to the
same climatic influences as the Orissa delta, and
the wild as well as cultivated hemp plant thrives
in these Mahals.
6. Scattered.
7. (a) Yes.
(b) No.
(c) Yes.
(d) No, except to re-sow.
Can't say accurately to what extent.
8. Can give no reasonable opinion about this.
9. Grown in seed-beds in April and May; trans-
planted in June or July; reaped in December;
flowers in October and November, The male
plant is emasculated by having its stem punctured
or cut and pieces of broken tile inserted in these
cuts.
10. Not necessarily. Have known Hindus as
well as Muhammadans to cultivate it for their
own use as well as for sale.
11. Yes.
12. The plant cultivated in the Gurjat Mahals
is usually from the previous year's garden or
home-grown seeds. The seed of the wild hemp
plant is utilised if the home seed fails.
13. No restrictions placed on the cultivation
and sale of ganja in any Gurjat State in Orissa.
Its cultivation is, I think, common to all the
seventeen States. I know of no State where its
cultivation would be impossible.
14. (a) Yes.
(b) No.
(c) Yes.
Can't say where and to what extent.
15. For ganja; the flower bud is dried, rubbed
into powder, and smoked in a chillum with
ground tobacco. For bhang, the dried and pound-
ed leaf only is used; the mixture contains pound-
ed hemp leaves, black pepper, and spices dissolved
in water and drunk.
* Was summoned to attend at a meeting of the Commission for oral examination, but was unable to appear.