501
They would be unable to carry on their profession
or work efficiently.
35. If prohibited, they are likely to be used
illicitly. Prohibition could be enforced by
increasing the price or by punishing them crimi-
nally. Yes, prohibition would cause serious dis-
content among the consumers. No political
danger is expected; might or might not be.
36. No.
40. Yes.
41. (a) Bhang is beneficial for digestion.
(Hindustanis consume for that purpose.)
(b) Bhang and ganja alleviate fatigue and
give staying power under severe exertion or
exposure.
(c) Yes; (Domes and Haris).
42. Moderate use of bhang is beneficial to
elderly people.
43. Yes.
44. No particular effect on habitual consumers.
Yes, it is refreshing. Yes, it produces some
intoxication. It allays hunger to some extent.
Yes, it creates appetite. The effect of bhang lasts
about 24 hours, of ganja about 3 or 4 hours; after-
effects, weariness. Yes, subsequent non-gratifica-
tion produces longing and uneasiness.
45. (a) Bhang does not produce special noxious
effects, but ganja does.
(b) Bhang does not, but the ganja does.
(c) No.
(d) Bhang does not, but the ganja does.
(e) It may or may not.
(f) Excessive use may lead to insanity, tem-
porary as well as permanent. Yes, may be re-in-
duced. Their eyes get red and contracted.
46. Excessive use of bhang as well as ganja is
equally injurious as stated above.
47. Most probably not.
48. Most probably does.
51. Not so.
52. Excessive consumers of these drugs are
generally of bad characters.
53. Yes. Yes, I know several cases.
54. Yes, sometimes.
55. No such cases occur in this part of country.
56. Some rich people boil ganja in milk and
use the cream. Its effects are moderate. Bhang
is mixed with milk and sugar and generally with
pepper which does not modify its effects..
Dhatura is not used.
63. No, nothing to suggest.
64. No objection.
65. I think the present taxation is reasonable.
66. There should be different rates. Flat
should be taxed less for its woody branches which
are thrown away.
67. No objection.
68. Houses or shops are not licensed. Licenses
are taken out for selling in certain localities where
houses or shops are erected at the pleasure of the
licensee.
69. I do not think they are consulted at all.
Local public opinion should be considered.
236. Evidence of BABU PURNA CHUNDER MAITRA, Secretary, Band of Hope,
Faridpur.
In consideration of the fact that it has been un-
reservedly condemned by eminent doctors as one
of the most dangerous poisons known, as the most
potent cause of lunacy, and as the most pernici-
ous and deleterious of all excitants ever in use in
any country, this Society is humbly of opinion
that an entire prohibition of the preparation and
sale under Government patronage, and total pro-
hibition of ganja cultivation except for medicinal
purposes will prove beneficial to the country, of
course, under strict vigilance on the part of the
local authorities as a safeguard against private
cultivation.
The principal arguments advanced against abo-
lition of Government monopoly by the supporters
of the ganja traffic are: (1) it will affect reve-
nue which will have to be met by a fresh taxa-
tion; (2) it may create a spirit of disaffection
among the jogis, sanyasis, fakirs, and mendicants
whose number is not small; (3) ganja has the
property of destroying malarial poisons and of neu-
tralizing the effects of impure water; (4) it is a
question whether the use of ganja is really doing
more harm compared to other intoxicants; (5)
abolition of Government monopoly will increase
ganja consumption.
The total abolition of the monopoly of the
ganja traffic will indeed entail a loss of revenue,
an amount compared to the total revenue
"is not," as Sir Charles Elliott said in his recent
speech at Naogaon, "so great that its loss would
plunge the country into financial difficulties." So
there need not be any apprehension of a fresh
taxation to recoup the loss.
There are in truth a number of jogis,
sanyasis, fakirs, and mendicants addicted to ganja
smoking, but ganja smoking forms no part of
their religion, and there is not a single Hindu or
Muhammadan religious book which sanctions the
use of ganja. On the contrary, the Hindu
Shastras and the Muhammadan Koran, like the
Christian Bible, emphatically enjoin "touch not,
smell not, taste not that which intoxicates and
stupefies the brain."
No real disaffection can, under the benign rule
of the British Government, be seriously appre-
hended; and even in the event of there being any
such apprehension, the fact should not be lost
sight of that the Government in this case will
have the support of the bulk of the population,
against which the clamours of a discontented few
will prove to be utterly unavailing.
Ganja may or may not be a preventive for
malarial fever. It will be for the medical autho-
rities to pronounce whether it is; the Sanitary
Commissioner in his annual report does not
suggest. But it seems somewhat strange that
the habitual use of the pernicious drug that
stupefies and often deranges the brain and to an
appreciable extent brutalizes the soul can be
justified by its advocates as a preventive for
malarial fever and a purifier of impure water.
The question whether the use of ganja is really
doing more harm compared to other intoxicants