418
comes emaciated. Laziness is induced, but not
immorality or debauchery. The intellect is not
deadened, nor insanity produced.
47 and 48. The habit moderately or excessively
indulged in is not hereditary, nor does it apparent-
ly affect the children of either class.
49 and 50. No; they are not used for this pur-
pose by men nor by prostitutes.
51 and 52. No.
53. No; it has the opposite effect. Excessive
indulgers become quiet and helpless.
55. Yes, but after dhatura is mixed with the
hemp drugs.
56. See answer to question No. 29.
57 Ganja and charas are not eaten or drunk in
this neighbourhood.
65. The tax might reasonably be increased for
these drugs, because intoxication by using them
can be produced at much less cost than by using
the country alcoholic liquors, even though the
effects of the latter are more durable.
66. No; one rate of taxation is the most
suitable, though chur ganja, being less potent,
might be more lightly taxed than the others.
68. Not in this municipality
69. No, but they should be.
190. Evidence of MR. F. G. GIBSON, Indigo Planter, Jessore.
1. From local information.
3. It is not grown here.
4. Siddhi, bhang, charas, ganja.
5. It grows in moist and shady places.
6. More or less scattered.
7. No; there is no cultivation of the hemp plant
in this district.
8. No.
11. Not cultivated.
14. None prepared here, so far as I can
ascertain.
16. It is drunk, or eaten in pellets, and occa-
sionally it is smoked.
18. I have been told it deteriorates by keeping.
19. Ganja and charas are used for smoking only.
20. Coolies and syces are the class who use
ganja mostly. Charas is used very little here.
21. Flat ganja is prepared for smoking.
22. It is imported.
23. Bhang is never used for smoking.
29. Ganja is mixed with tobacco for smoking.
30. It is consumed in company, and is mainly
confined to the male sex. It is not usual for
children to consume any of these drugs.
31. It is easily formed, and the habit once
formed is not easily broken.
32. It is taken by most classes during the
Pujas.
39. There are no other preparations of this
drug, except for smoking and drinking. From
enquiries made in the distict.
41. I believe it helps a man to sustain greater
fatigue, especially during wet or cold weather.
191. Evidence of MR. JOHN D. GWILT, Tea Planter, Longview Company, Limited,
Darjeeling.
1. My answers are based on facts collected from
the people living in my vicinity and from the
work people of this company. The workmen here
are for the most part Nepalese, a few being Be-
haris, and possessing, it seems, a better knowledge
with reference to this drug than the former.
2. The three names, viz., ganja, charas and
bhang, are, it appears, pretty generally understood
by almost all classes of people here, and the defi-
nitions given in question No. 2 can be accepted
for this part of the district.
3. I have no special knowledge about this, but
I understand that the soil of the Rajshahi District
in Bengal is specially favourable for the growth
of this drug. A plant belonging to the species of
Cannabis sativa grows wild in this part of
Darjeeling, and is known by the name of wild
chang.
4. It is known by the names of wild chang.
It is believed that this name refers to the same
plant, possessing, as it does, more or less all the
properties of the bhang of Bengal.
5. Any elevation below 3,000 feet and a soil
having a little vegetable mould in it may, in my
opinion, help the growth of this plant, the rainfall
and climate, as a rule, not being of very special
importance.
6. The growth is rather dense than otherwise
where it occurs.
7. There is no cultivation of ganja in this part
of the district, and the people here do not know
what use to make of the hemp.
8. There is no cultivation of it.
11. I have not heard of the wild hemp plant
being specially cultivated for the production of
ganja.
12. The ganja is not cultivated in this part of
the Terai, and this being the case, I am unable to
offer any information with reference to this ques-
tion.
14. None to my knowledge.
15. I can offer no particulars on this subject.
16. To the best of my belief, no one cares to
try and prepare bhang in their own houses. It is
believed that bhang can be prepared from the wild
hemp plants, but people here do not know how to
do it. It is doubtful whether ganja and charas
can be prepared from these plants.
17. I have never known Nepalese to prepare
the hemp drug; it is brought prepared by the
plains men.
18. The drugs deteriorate by keeping, but do
not altogether lose their effect.
19. I have not known them used for other pur-
poses than smoking.
20. Mendicants use these drugs mostly. The
proportion of the people who smoke ganja here is
exceedingly small.