136
(b) No.
(c) Illicitly prepared in this district, but the
quantity is very small.
15. Only from cultivated plants different sorts
of ganja is manufactured. I do not know much
about the preparation of ganja and charas. Siddhi
or bhang is prepared illicitly from the wild plants.
The leaves are removed from the plants when
they are flowering and then dried in the sun.
After the process it is powdered and drunk after
mixing it with water, milk, sugar, and spices.
Ganja and charas are only smoked, generally after
mixing with tobacco.
16. (a) Prepared to a very small extent in this
district.
(b) Yes.
(c) No.
17. Ganja is prepared by the ordinary culti¬
vators, both Hindus and Muhammadans. Siddhi
is illicitly prepared by all classes of people who
drink it. I do not know what classes of people
prepare charas.
18. Yes, these drugs deteriorate by keeping,
and quite lose their effect in time. Ganja and
siddhi keep good for two to three years and charas
four to five years. The evaporation of the nar¬
cotic matter is the cause of deterioration. If the
drug is kept hermetically sealed in tin boxes,
I thinkit might prevent deterioration.
19. Used only for smoking, as far as I know.
20. Charas used to be smoked by both the
upper and lower classes of people, but now its use
is almost confined to a limited number of the
latter. The consumption of charas in this dis¬
trict is not more than thirty seers per annum and
the number of smokers of this drug is not more
than three hundred. Ganja is smoked generally
by people of the lower castes who have much out¬
door work, such as boatmen, fishermen, and coolies,
and a limited number of the upper class in the
Barasat subdivision. 1 think about 75 per cent.
of the adult population of the labouring lower
class of people smoke ganja.
21. In this district round ganja is preferred.
Flat ganja is not used at all. The consumption
of chur is very little.
22. Foreign, Nepal charas, imported from Am-
ritsar, is chiefly used.
23. Not as far as I am aware.
24. Bhang drinking is prevalent among all
classes of people. It is specially used by the in¬
habitants of Behar residing in this district. I
think about 50 per cent. of the people drink
siddhi or bhang.
25. The annual reports show that the consump¬
tion of ganja is falling off year by year. The com-
sumption of siddhi shows an increase. In charas
the increase of consumption is nominal.
The vendors of this district formerly used to ob¬
tain charas from Calcutta retail shops in small
quantities, but now they are importing it direct
from Amritsar and are selling it wholesale to the
vendors of other districts.
Ganj
a.
Sidd
hi.
hi.
Char
as.
as.
Mds. Srs. Mds. Srs. Mds. Srs.
1888-89
185 35 37
31
1889-90
163 19 43
9
1890-91
172 29 46
5
0 25
1891-92
177 2
56 29
0 31
1892-93
173 26 6
26
1 25
26. (a) 70 per cent.
(b) 4 "
(c) 25 "
(d) 1 "
27. These are mainly taken from the lower
castes who have a good deal of rough out-door
work, such as Bagdi, Podh, Behara, Chamar,
Malla, Dhangar, Dulia, Dome, Mehtar, Boistab
Sanyasi, songster, Kaibarta, etc. They are gene¬
rally moderate consumers.
Ganja.
Charas.
Siddhi.
28. (a) 2 annas weight, 3 annas weight, 1 tola.
price 2 pice.
price 11/2 annas. price 2 pice.
(b) 1 tola, 1 tola,
21/2
tolas,
price 4 annas.
price 8 annas. price 5 pice.
29. (a) Ordinarily with ganja and charas pre¬
pared tobacco is mixed, and with siddhi spices,
sugar and milk.
(b) I am not aware of anything exceptionally
mixed.
I have heard that dhatura seeds are used with
ganja to increase its intoxicating power, but I
have not seen any one use it. In case of tobacco
with charas and ganja to soften the narcotic
effect and to give a better flavour. Spices, etc.,
are used with siddhi to improve the taste and
also to increase its intoxicating effect.
I know of no preparation such as bhang
massala.
30. (a) Ganja and charas are smoked generally
in company. No privacy is observed in case of
drinking siddhi.
(b) It is mainly confined to the male sex and
not to any special time of life.
(c) No.
31. (a) Yes.
(b) Yes.
(c) Not to the same extent as alcohol or
opium.
32. The consumption of ganja and charas is
not required by any social or religious custom.
Bhang is drunk partly as a religious and more as
a social custom on the fourth or last day of the
Durga puja, as it is believed that success in life
results thereby, and the name itself "siddhi"
implies success. It is popularly believed to have
been the favourite drink of Siva and is therefore
given as an offering to him by devotees. The use
is generally temperate and there is no likelihood
of its leading to the formation of habit.
33. The smoking of ganja is held in disrepute,
but such is not the case with siddhi drinking or
charas smoking. The sentiment against ganja
smoking is, I think, due to the fact that its use
is confined generally to the lower castes. I am
not aware of any custom of worshipping the hemp
plant on any occasion by any sect of people.
34. Yes. The labouring class of the population
use ganja or charas as a stimulant to enable them
to do hard work. They cannot possibly give up
the practice without some substitute. Bhang,
again, could not be given up by the habitual con¬
sumers without aggravating the complaints, to
prevent which they had recourse to its use.
About 50,000 of the labouring classes of this dis¬
trict use ganja as a stimulant for hard work.
There are no less than 10,000 habitual consumers
of siddhi, but the charas smokers are not more
than 300 in this district.