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intoxicating effect which is believed to give
pleasure. Therefore the largest number in my
opinion are (b) habitual excessive consumers.
The next are (a) habitual moderate consumers,
whofor want of money are unable to indulge in
excess. Then come those who may be called (d)
occasional excessive consumers. Lastly may be
mentioned those who are called (c) occasional
moderate consumers. In the case of bhang, the
order is otherwise, being (c) first, and then (a), (d)
and (b), respectively.
27. (a) Are generally boatmen, fishermen, and
other low classes following particular calling.
(b) Are generally fakirs, sanyasis, and other reli-
gious mendicants, as also those who incur the
habit for the sake of intoxication. Also singers
and musicians.
28. (a) From two pice to four pice.
(b) From four pice to ten pice.
29. (a) Milk, sugar, mouri, golmarich are
mixed with bhang or siddhi.
(b) Ganja and charas are sometimes dipped in
spirit and then made dry again. Dhatura is
also used by veteran smokers.
30. Ganja and charas are consumed in smoking
usually in company. Not so is the case with
bhang. Habitual consumers generally smoke in
company. The consumption is mainly confined
to male adults. Women known as Bhairabis
generally smoke ganja or charas. It is not usual
for children to consume any of the three drugs.
The boys of boatmen, fishermen and the young
mendicants are often seen smoking ganja.
31. No, the habit is not easily formed; but once
formed, it is difficult to give it up. Those who
once form the habit are seldom seen to give it up.
The reason is not that it is impossible to be given
up, but because those form the habit do not
seriously think to be got rid of it. No healthy
influence is brought to bear on them. My belief
is that even habitual consumers may give up the
habit, if they choose to do so. Prisoners in jail
get on well without the drugs, showing thereby
that the use may be dispensed with without affect-
ing the health and without any difficulty. The
last question is answered in the affirmative.
32. The only custom I am aware of, in which
bhang or siddhi is used, is on the occasion of the
Bijaya, when it is considered essential for every
Hindu to drink or touch the drug. It is not so
considered by the enlightened class. The custom
probably arose from the meaning of the word
siddhi (success). The use on the occasion is
temperate. Yes, it is likely in some cases to lead
to the formation of the habit. The use is injuri-
ous.
33. The consumers of any of these drugs (with
the exception of persons occasionally taking siddhi
or bhang) are generally treated with contempt in
society. They are generally considered as untrust-
worthy, incompetent to manage any business
through lazy habits which the practice is believed
to engender. Those who use the drugs are found
to be worthless, hence the consumers are treated
with contempt. I am not aware of any custom of
worshipping the hemp plant.
34. The discontinuance of the use of the ganja
may be regarded as a privation to the houseless
religious mendicants, who believe that they over-
come hunger and bad weather, as well as all
melancholy thoughts, by the use of the ganja.
They are lost to the society, and anything which
makes them the more so is welcome by them.
The discontinuance would not be a privation to
any others, but would be a blessing, as it would
make them more economic, active and careful
about their family.
35. Yes, it is desirable that the use of the drugs
be put a stop to. This can be done by prohi-
biting the cultivation of hemp and destroying it
wherever it grows spontaneously, as also prohibiting
foreign imports. All illicit consumptions may be
prevented by a strict vigilance and enforcement
of the Excise Law, prohibiting the use of any of
the drugs except for medicinal purposes. The
prohibition can be enforced in the same way as the
law as to the offering to sale or having in posses-
sion any unwholesome food or drink is enforced.
There would be no doubt discontent in the minds
of the consumers, but that would not be serious,
nor would there be any political danger. The
consumers have very little position in society, and
are conscious of their guilt. They would not fail
to perceive the noble intention of the Government.
Yes, the prohibition would be followed by recourse
to (a) alcoholic stimulants or (b) to the use of
tobacco or opium. In the majority of cases, the
use of tobacco smoking to excess would be re-
sorted to.
36. No; alcohol would not be substituted for
the drugs, unless the price would be cheaper. At
present the drugs can be had at a cheaper price
than alcohol.
37. Yes, ganja smoking produces a deeper and
longer intoxication than charas smoking. The
former lasts for hours and hours together, the
latter for an hour or two.
Sometimes charas
smoking is resorted to to do away with the effect
of the ganja smoking. The effect of the former
is more sudden than that of the latter. In the
case of charas, the consumer gets sometimes in-
sensible while smoking, but he recovers earlier than
the ganja smokers.
38. Yes, the effects are different in degree. The
chur is the most intoxicating of the three, and the
round or rolled ganja is more intoxicating than the
flat ganja. The flat ganja is not much valued by
habitual consumers.
39. Ganja or charas smoking is more injurious
than siddhi drinking. But the latter becomes
equally injurious if indulged in excess. The in-
toxicating effect of bhang lasts from twelve to
fourteen hours and sometimes for no less than
twenty-four hours. In my opinion smoking is
more injurious than either eating or drinking, as
in the former case the head is affected more sud-
denly than in the latter.
40. I am not in a position to answer this ques-
tion. I have heard, however, that the drugs are
used for medicinal purposes. I do not know whe-
ther they are used in the treatment of cattle dis-
ease.
41. (a) It is believed by some that siddhi sharp-
ens appetite and also digests food. Some men
drink siddhi in a moderate quantity, so as to be
able to eat much in a feast. I do not believe that
siddhi or the other drugs have any such effect.
(b) The drugs do not give staying-power under
severe exertion. Ganja smoking appears to pro-
duce beneficial effect in the case of those who are
constantly exposed to the weather, such as fisher-
men and religious mendicants. Moderate occa-
sional use may do good to the former and moder-
ate habitual use to the latter. The use of the