378
26. Ganja, 5 per cent.
Bhang, 15 per cent.
(a) 2.5
(a) 5
(b) 1.5
(b) 2
(c) .75
(c) 4
(d) .25
(d) 4
27. Ganja is consumed mainly by the labouring
classes to ward off the effects of exposure in incle-
ment weather and to endure the hardships of toil
in the cultivating season, by the jogis and religi-
ous mendicants for concentration of mind, and by
the upper classes for the mere luxury of intoxica-
tion. The same remarks apply to the consump-
tion of other drugs.
28. Ganja
(a) 3 to 6 pies.
(b) 2 annas to 8 annas.
Bhang
(a) 3 pies to 6 pies.
(b) 6 pies to 1 anna.
Charas
(a) 6 pies.
(b) 1 anna.
29. Ganja
(a) Tobacco leaves and water.
(b) Rose-water, tobacco leaves,
cardamom, saffron, and
sometimes charas.
Bhang
(a) Aniseed and black pepper.
(b) Black pepper, aniseed, and car-
damom.
Charas
(a) Prepared tobacco or singly.
(b) Prepared tobacco and juice of
betel leaf.
Cocoanut water, milk, and sugar are sometimes
mixed in bhang to make it more intoxicating.
Dhatura is very seldom or never mixed with
ganja and bhang. Exceptionally inveterate ganja
smokers and evil intentioned persons sometimes
mix dhatura seeds in the ganja, and I have seen
a few bhang drinkers who do not fear to mix
arsenic in the drink. The bhang massala gener-
ally consists of—
Cardamom, badam, cucumber seeds, kasni, anise-
ed, rose petals, and saffron, and mace and nutmeg
during cold season.
It is taken with bhang only.
30 and 31. Habit is not easily formed, but
when once formed, it cannot be easily broken off
without the risk of injury to health. Smoking
ganja moderately, if habitual, has a tendency to
develop into the excessive. But such is not the
case with the occasional smokers.
The consumption of these drugs is confined to
the male sex only who generally take them in
company. Children do not consume any of these
drugs.
32. There is no such religious obligation.
The practice of drinking bhang during the
Bijoya Dasami and such other festive occasions in
very moderate doses is prevalent in Bengal (except
in East Bengal). Such a practice is too temperate
to lead to the formation of actual "habit," or
being otherwise injurious.
33. The consumption of these drugs, and espe-
cially of ganja, although there is no religious
objection to it, is socially regarded as disreputable,
particularly by the upper and middle classes. The
lower classes regard it with disapproving conniv-
ance, and the religious mendicants believe it to be
essential to their mode of life.
I am not aware of any custom of worshipping
the hemp plant.
34. Yes. The fishermen, boatmen, labourers
and the jogis.
The fishermen, boatmen, and field labourers, who
carry wet clothes on them for nearly half the day,
and are, exposed to all the inclemencies of the wea-
ther, will suffer seriously. Ganja is considered by
its consumers as a sort of "concentrated food,"
and is believed to infuse fresh spirit and energy
into the hard worked and knocked up system.
However exaggerating the praise bestowed upon
the drug by its consumer may be, there is no
doubt that in some extent it is invigorating and
refreshing.
35. It would not be feasible to prohibit the use
of these drugs altogether without conniving at
their increased illicit consumption and depriving
the poor labourer of the only stimulant that
obtains in this country. The prohibition is pos-
sible only by strong legislative measures, which
will add to State expenses by increasing the works
of our Criminal Courts and reducing the revenue.
Serious and widespread discontent, which may
be the result of such prohibitions, may not be
fraught with absolute political danger, but might
not be advantageous politically, socially, or finan-
cially,—politically because there will be no end of
fracases between the detectives and smugglers and
illicit users; socially because people will in that
case naturally have recourse to alcoholic stimulants
and other drugs which are notoriously injurious to
health, and consequently looked down by the
society with abhorrence; and financially because it
will increase the expenses of the State and reduce
the revenue.
36. I believe that alcohol is now rather being
substituted by, than for, ganja and bhang. Al-
cohol is not suited to the constitution of the people
of this country owing, perhaps, to their poor diet
and the sultry climate.
37. Ganja brings on its habitual consumer an
irritative temper, but charas does not do so.
The effects of bhang are mild, and do not produce
peevishness in its consumer like the ganja.
38. As the ganga consumers are seen to prefer
chur and round ganjas to flat ganja, I believe
the intoxicating effect of the former is either more
intense, or more instantaneous, or more durable.
40. Bhang is used extensively in the treatment
of cattle, horses, and elephants.
Ganja and bhang are used by the kabirajes in
their medicines. They even ascribe to bhang
the following qualities:—
(1) Sourness, (2) mawkishness, (3) pungency,
(4) bitterness, (5) digestiveness, (6) intoxica-
ting.
It is used in relieving rheumo-phlegmatic affec-
tions, vitiated blood, impotency, etc.
41. (a) Ganja and bhang are digestive, and
alleviate acidity, etc.
(b) They give staying-power and alleviate
fatigue.
(c) An occasional consumer of ganja is found
to
become moderately habitual consumer when
he goes to malarious and unhealthy tracts.
Labouring classes (among whom I include
also
Brahmin cooks, confectioners, and the pro-
fessional musicians) use ganja for purposes men-
tioned under the headings (b) and (c), and old