388
48. Habitual excessive consumption of the
drug is not also a hereditary habit and it does not
affect the children anyhow. I know two gentle-
men whose fathers were not in the habit of taking
any intoxicating drug. They (the sons) were ex-
cessive consumers of ganja drugs, opium and
liquor when available. They died early, but their
(consumers') sons are strong and healthy and they
do not use any intoxicating drug.
49. The moderate use of ganja and siddhi is
practised, though not generally, as an aphro-
disiac. I know of a good eminent kaviraj who ad-
vised a gentleman to drink siddhi for this purpose.
Some prostitutes use ganja for this purpose.
Some time ago a prostitute told a gentleman to
smoke ganja to increase his venereal appetite. I
do not think it more injurious. No; the use of
hemp does not tend to produce impotence.
50. The case is quite the contrary when it is
used in excess.
51. In towns a large proportion of bad characters
are habitual moderate consumers of ganja. I do
not think that there is any connection between
the moderate use of ganja and crime in general,
but the advantage of the use of the drug is that
they can talk and consult matters in adda freely,
and the use of the drug stimulates a little. The
consumers of ganja generally commit petty thefts.
52. The excessive use of ganja has the tenden-
cy to make the consumer lazy and inactive.
53. The excessive indulgence of any of these
drugs does not incite to unpremeditated crime,
violent or otherwise. I do not know any case in
which it has led to temporary homicidal frenzy
54. Yes.
55. I have no personal experience, but I have
heard that criminals, in order to further their de-
signs, induce their victims to partake of bhang or
siddhi mixed with sherbet and so stupefy them-
selves. Complete stupefaction cannot be thus in-
duced by this drug without admixture.
170. Evidence of FAZL RUNBBEE, Dewan to His Highness the Nawab Bahadur of
Murshidabad, Murshidabad.
20. There are no classes which specially use
ganja, charas or bhang in moderation or in excess
except sanyasis. Ganja is to some extent used by
the labouring classes of the people, such as boat-
men, fishermen, bearers, etc., in moderation.
24. The up-country men residing in Bengal
take bhang, though not in large quantities. The
number of people who take charas, however, is
limited.
41. Ganja is smoked to counteract the evil in-
fluences of the climate and also for purposes of
intoxication. Bhang is used as a stimulant and
also as a provocative of appetite. It keeps the
system cool. The use of ganja enables one to
concentrate his attention to any subject that one
takes up. The pleasure consists in the narcotic
effects produced by the consumption of the drugs.
28. One to four chillums of ganja and charas
and from half to one tola of bhang a day is
regarded as a moderate consumption. The cost of
ganja would be about 4 pice, that of charas about
3 annas, and that of bhang about 2 pice.
31. Yes, generally.
32. There are no special occasions when ganja
is socially or religiously used. Bhang is used on
the Bijoya and Sivaratri days by a large number
of all classes of the Hindu pepole.
44. Ganja in moderation protects one from the
injurious effects of the climate. Bhang in modera-
tion is attended with no evil effects.
46. The excessive use of bhang produces excessive
intoxication.
Ganja in excess breaks down one's health;
charas does the same, but not bhang. Ganja
and charas produce strong intoxication, even in
small quantities, whereas bhang in moderation is
very mild in its effects.
29. Tobacco is generally mixed with ganja to
render the smoke more mild and agreeable. Dhatura
and kuohla (nux vomica) are mixed with ganja
to make the narcotic offects stronger and lasting.
Such admixtures are made use of by the sanyasis,
as ganja alone fails to produce the desired effect.
55. No, except those stated above.
35. No. Though, as already stated, the con-
sumption of ganja is injurious to health, and its
stimulating power is temporary and weakening,
yet its entire prohibition would not only be not
practicable, but would bring in other worse in-
toxicants.
67. In the present excise system the high duties
imposed and the increased license fees levied upon
the drugs have raised their prices too high, and
the consumers who cannot afford to pay for the
quantity they require, buy a little and admixture
other poisonous substances with it, as stated above,
knowingly, for reasons already mentioned, and
thereby totally ruin their health, and sometimes
ultimately even meet with an untimely death.
35. I think the use of bhang and ganja should
not be prohibited altogether.
Their complete
prohibition might bring in a more extended use of
alcoholic liquors and other poisonous substances,
which would be worse than ganja for the people.
The use of bhang, as far as I know, is not so
injurious. It does very little harm to the health
of the consumer, except that it makes him very
much intoxicated when he takes it in excess.
171. Evidence of BABU RAGHUNANDAN PRASAD SINHA, Brahman, Zamindar, Dis-
trict Muzaffarpur.
1. I have personally seen many ganja and
bhang consumers of various classes and degrees.
Many of them are and have been my servants,
and residents of the place I live in. Numerous
instances of sadhus consuming and its effects
upon them have come under my personal observa-
tion. I have seen many consumers of the town
and watched the effects of consumption upon
them.
3. In the districts of Western Behar (i.e., the
districts under the Commissioner of Patna Divi-
sion) only the male hemp plant, which is simply