109
smoking. I am not aware of its being used in
any other form.
20. Ganja is smoked generally by people of the
lowest class, such as Bagdi, Dulia, Behara, domes.
tic servants, groom, Behari darwan, Dosad,
Chamar, Malla, Kairi, Domes, Nunia of Behar,
fakir, sanyasis, jogi, Boistab, songster. Among
these classes, 75 per cent. smoke ganja. Ganja is
consumed in larger quantities in East Bengal and
Behar. Patna, Mymensingh. Dacca, Champaran
and Saran may be specially mentioned. Very
little ganja is consumed in the tract where it is
grown.
21. I do not believe that preference is given to
any particular ganja, flat, round, or chur. The
consumption of round ganja is confined to Calcutta
and districts about it as well as Orissa division.
In the rest of the districts flat ganja is consumed.
The chur ganja obtained from round is consumed
in the locality where the round is imported, and
the flat chur in like manner consumed in the dis¬
tricts where flat ganja is imported. It is said
that the smokers in or about Calcutta prefer
round ganja. I do not think it has any meaning;
for otherwise the large number of people of flat
consuming districts residing in Calcutta would
have demanded flat ganja had there really been
any preference for any particular sort.
22. I have no knowledge.
23. I don't know of bhang being used for
smoking. My experience is that it is used for
drinking only.
24. As far as I am aware bhang is drunk or
eaten by the people of Behar. The consumption
is not confined to any particular class. The lower
class consume more than the upper class. 75 per
cent. of the lower class and 50 per cent. of the
upper class either drink or eat bhang.
25. I have no idea of the consumption of charas
or bhang. The consumption of ganja in the last
decade is steady. Some twenty or thirty years be¬
fore the consumption of ganja was three times over,
compared to the present consumption. The cause
of decrease is attributed to the fact that there was
very small duty on ganja before; with the gradual
increase of duty and imposition of fee for selling
ganja the consumption decreased.
26. The proportion of consumers of ganja, in
my opinion, is as follows:—
(a) 20 per cent. habitual moderate consumers.
(b) Out of this 20, only 5 are excessive con¬
sumers, or 5 per cent.
(c) Occasional moderate consumers 80 per
cent. or 8 in 10.
(d) Occasional excessive consumers are 10
out of 80 or 10 per cent.
27. Fakirs, jogis, sanyasis, cooks and palki-
bearers form the class of habitual moderate con¬
sumers; and among these the mendicant class are
habitual excessive consumers. The occasional
moderate consumers are taken from the lowest
classes of both Hindu and Musalman, such as
Dosad, Nunia, Chamar, Malla, Dhangar, Bunwa,
Dulia, Dome, Bagdi, Keora, Mether, Bhumali.
The occasional excessive consumers among these
classes are those who otherwise turned vagabond.
It is said that, as a matter of course, people taken
to ascetic life must take to smoking ganja, be¬
cause these people think that it is not possible to
stand the hardship of ascetic life unless some sort
of stimulant is used, and they take to ganja smok¬
ing as it is cheapest of all intoxicants. Those of
the new recruits who had not the inclination to
smoke led to the practice by their keeping com¬
pany with those who smoke. With regard to the
other classes of consumers, the circumstances of
their living in society which indulge in smoking
ganja and their doing very hard labour without
proper food and rest lead to the practice. To this
may be added the general hankering of men for
some refreshment to kill the fatigue of hard
labour. Examples are not wanting of people
acquiring the habit of ganja smoking by first
using it as medicine. For instance, a man suffer¬
ing from chronic fever, dysentery, diarrhœa, gout,
etc., is advised the smoking of ganja as a remedy.
28. The average allowance of habitual moder¬
ate consumers is two annas weight of ganja or
22½ grains, the cost of which is only two pice.
The average allowance of habitual excessive
consumers is one tola or 180 grains per diem, the
cost of which is four annas.
29. The only ingredient mixed with ganja is
tobacco leaf. I am not aware of any other in¬
gredient being used ordinarily or exceptionally.
Dhatura is not used. The object of mixing to¬
bacco leaf with ganja is to give it a flavour.
I have no experience about " bhang massala."
30. Generally ganja is smoked in company
ordinarily consisting of two. Those who are depen¬
dents only seek solitude in order to conceal their
habits from their betters. Ganja is chiefly con¬
sumed by the male sex. Some of the women of
ill-fame are known to smoke ganja. Those
women again belong to the lowest order of the
unfortunate class. Generally young people are
seen to smoke ganja between the age of 16 to 45.
It is not usual for children to consume ganja.
31. I think the habit of consuming ganja is
rather easily formed, since the class of people
from which the consumers are taken consider
ganja as only a bit stronger than tobacco, which
is universally consumed in Bengal. The habit, I
think, is not difficult to break off like other in¬
toxicants, such as opium, madak, and liquor. The
tendency of moderate habit developing into ex¬
cessive depends much on the mode of life the man
leads. An honest and respectable smoker, who
uses ganja as pain and hunger killer, would not
go to excessive, while a smoker who has less
worldly ties and is not required to work for food
would generally go to excess.
32. The consumption of ganja is not required
by any social or religious custom. Bhang is, as
a social custom, drunk as sherbet on the fourth day
of the Durga puja. While the male members of
the family go out with the idol to throw it in the
river, the females prepare the bhang, which con¬
sists of the grinding of bhang leaves with spices,
and then mixing it with sugar and water. On
the return of the males, they are offered this
drink with other sweets. The children do not
drink. Very few old people drink. It is con¬
sumed by most of the young people. It is not
essential that bhang should be drunk as a custom.
The use is generally temperate, and there is no
likelihood of leading to the formation of habit.
33. The smoking of ganja is regarded disrepu¬
table by the society generally; but such is not the
case with regard to bhang. There is, however, no
social or religious public opinion in regard to the
practice. The sentiment which makes the people
consider the ganja smokers disreputable is attri¬
buted to the fact that ganja is the cheapest of all
intoxicants, just as gentlemen going to the cheap