50
ing spices:—Black pepper, sugar, rose leaf, ani-
seed, cardamom, and milk or curd.
15. Not known.
16. (a) Yes.
b) Yes.
(c) No.
17. No special class.
18. All these drugs deteriorate by keeping, and
lose their effect after about two years. After two
years a sort of worm appears, which eats up the
intoxicating matter of the ganja. Ganja, if used
after two years, will produce headache and will
not act as stimulant. No special measure known
can prevent deterioration.
19. Yes.
20. The low class men, such as labourers, culti-
vators and fakirs, generally use ganja. They are
occasionally consumed by the middle class. A
small portion of Muhammadans also use these
drugs. Women do not use these drugs. The
consumption of charas is very small in this dis-
trict. We have opened only one charas shop this
year experimentally. As regards ganja it may
be said that about 1/8th of the population use the
drug.
21. Chur and flat are generally preferred to
round ganja, as the latter produces less intoxica-
tion.
22. Charas is imported from Amritsar to Go-
rakhpur, whence it is brought into this district.
23. As far as is known, no. The consumption
is not restricted to any locality.
24. (a) The fakirs eat powdered bhang.
(b) Middle and higher class men drink
bhang mixed with cardamon, aniseed, and other
spices.
25. The consumption continues to be the same
as before.
26. (a) 80 per cent.
(b) 5
"
(c) 7 1/2 "
(d) 7 1/2 "
27. Among the low class, the cultivators and
labourers generally use these drugs as stimulants.
Fakirs use them to help them in meditation and
to preserve their health against the evil effects of
damp, open-air living, and exposure. High class
people use it as preventive against the evil effects
of cold, damp, etc.
28. (a) 1/8 of a tola, at a cost of 1/2 anna.
(b) 1 tola, at 4 annas per diem.
29. (a) Ganja and charas are generally con-
sumed along with tobacco leaf. Charas is also
consumed mixed with prepared tobacco.
(b) Sometimes rose leaf and other spices are
mixed to add flavour to the smoke.
The Sadhus, in exceptional cases, mix dhatura
seed with bhang to make it more intoxicating.
Generally bhang is consumed with the admixture
of sugar, black pepper, rose leaf, aniseed, carda-
moms, and sometimes milk or curd. The object
is to make the drink more tasteful and palatable.
There is no special preparation such as bhang
massala in the district. The following spices
and articles, however, form the chief ingredients
in bhang massala: mirch (black pepper), sonf
(aniseed), kasni, seed of cucumber, almond,
saffron, rose leaf.
30. Ganja and charas are sometimes indulged
in singly and sometimes in company. Bhang is
generally used in company.
It is mainly confined to the male sex in youth
and old age.
It is not usual for children to consume any of
these drugs. On rare occasions females use
bhang. In some eastern districts females use
ganja.
31. (a) Bhang, no.
Charas and ganja, yes.
(b) It is very easy giving up the use of bhang,
but very difficult in the latter two cases.
(c) So far as charas and ganja are concerned,
yes.
32. There is no special custom, so far as charas
and ganja are concerned. But it is a fact that on
the Holi and other festive occasions these two
drugs are consumed to a large extent.
As regards bhang, it is customary to use it on
the Holi festival day, which takes place in the
month of Phalgun, when friends and relations are
invited to partake of bhang. In eastern districts
it is customary, nay, considered religious, to drink
bhang on the day following the last day of
Durga Puja. This custom prevails among the
Hindus only.
Yes, on the Holi day. The consumption on
these occasions is generally excessive. It is not
likely to lead to the formation of any habit.
33. People do not look down upon bhang con-
sumers with contempt. The consumption of
ganja and charas is looked on with disrepute; the
reason is that people do not approve of any sort
of intoxicating thing. Hemp plant is not wor-
shipped here.
34. Yes. As already remarked, it is very
difficult to break off the habit of using ganja and
charas, and so, when people are generally addicted
to these drugs, they will think it a serious priva-
tion if they do not get these drugs.
Moreover, the drugs act as stimulants, and
enable poor people to work hard in the field, and
so they won't like to part with these drugs,
which are also said to be efficacious in a cold and
damp climate and wet weather. About 30,000
people consume ganja in this district, 25,000
(labourers, etc.), 500 (high class men) 4,000
(fakirs), and 500 (some low class men).
35. I don't think that it will be at all feasible
to prohibit the use of any of these drugs. The use
of these has become such a part and parcel of the
lives of many that at the appointed time of the day
they must have these drugs or they will be unfit for
any work. I fear that any attempt to prohibit the
use will lead to illicit consumption. The prohibition
is likely to produce serious discontent. No special
political danger is apprehended. But it is most
difficult to estimate what will constitute political
danger. By itself this would probably not be
grave in this district; but the fakirs are listened
to and respected by the common people. It would
undoubtedly be a thorn in the side of a somewhat
reckless class. The prohibition is not likely to be
followed by any appreciative increase in the con-
sumption of liquor for the following reasons:—
Ganja consumers generally do not drink liquor.
Moreover, the expense of buying liquor is too
much for the poor people that consume ganja.
It will really be a hardship to the labourers, etc.,
to be deprived of these drugs. There are certain
caste prejudices also among the Brahmins and