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restrain their passions and commune with God.
But this is injurious to their system and often
turns them into inveterate smokers. The use of
ganja by young men on religious festivities often
leads them to the formation of a habit.
33. The consumption of ganja, charas and
siddhi is always looked with disfavour by the
people. Excepting the sanyasis, nobody ever
supports the custom of using these drugs.
These narcotics are ever in disrepute. Ganja and
charas undermine the intellect and make a man
devoid of common sense and totally unfit for the
world. People never trust a ganja or charas
smoker. As soon as a man is known to have con-
tracted a habit of smoking, he is put down for
lost.
His Lakshmi (or goddess of Fortune) is
said to desert him, and people believe that he will
be a ruined man before long. In a word, the con-
sumption of these drugs by a man is always looked
with horror.
I know of no custom of worshipping the hemp
plant.
34. If sanyasis have to forego the consumption
of ganja, they would regard it as a serious priva-
tion; and so would inveterate smokers among
householders. To others, it won't be any priva-
tion at all. These remarks hold good in the cases
of siddhi and charas also. Barring the sanyasis,
the number of those who would suffer any serious
privation to forego the consumption of these drugs
is, I think, only 5 per cent. of the consumers.
35. It would be feasible to prohibit the use of
ganja and charas. Siddhi may be allowed to be
used. In that case, ganja and charas won't be
illicitly consumed. The prohibition of ganja and
charas may be enforced by levying a heavy tax
upon them. The prohibition won't occasion any
serious discontent among the consumers; and the
discontent would never amount to a political
danger. Ganja and charas should not be prohibit-
ed altogether by legislation. They should be
heavily taxed; so that consumers would get only a
very small quantity for what they can afford to
expend on them. Necessity would compel them
to use small quantities; and from small quanti-
ties, they may give up the habit altogether.
The
prohibition in certain cases may be followed by
recourse to alcoholic stimulants.
36. I am of opinion that certain people are born
with a propensity for stimulants. Bad company
only serves to give it an impetus. Those who
would drink wine would not care for ganja,
charas or siddhi. But those who have religious
prejudices or fear the social ban, take to ganja,
etc. These people would never drink wine, even
though ganja be prohibited. Religious scepticism
or unbelief has caused to a certain extent the sub-
stitution of alcohol for these drugs. The lower
classes of the people who are not Hindus take to
wine, because a few pice spent on wine would
cause them more intoxication and hilarity than
ganja, charas, etc., and wine is not prohibited to
them. These lower people are neither Hindus,
Muhammadans nor Christians. They are the abo-
rigines and often nondescripts.
37. The effects of charas-smoking are not
different in any particular from those resulting
from ganja-smoking.
38. Flat ganja is very strong and exciting.
It makes its consumer very irascible and some-
times violent. Round ganja is milder in its
effects and soothing to smokers. This is generally
preferred. Chur ganja is mild, dull and vapid,
and does not command many votaries.
40. Ganja is used in a preparation of oil for
the cure of itches. No school of native doctors
prescribe its use to lepers; it is only the quacks
who advise its use to them. Siddhi is used by
kabirajes in a preparation of medicine for the cure
of "ambalshul". Charas is never prescribed by
anybody for any disease.
41. The moderate use of ganja is sometimes
thought to be beneficial in its effects, (a) as a
food digestive, (b) to give staying power under
severe exposure, and (c) as a preventive of disease
in malarious and unhealthy tracts. But whether
this is actually beneficial in its effects or not, I
cannot say.
42. If the moderate use of ganja is not benefi-
cial in its effects, I cannot say that it is harmless.
A moderate use will lead to immoderate use; and
it will serve to gradually sap the intellect of the
consumers and make a wreck of it. Besides, it is
not economical. Ganja-smokers want a little milk
and ghi which entail on them an additional ex-
pense, which is often too much for poor people.
43. Moderate consumers of ganja, siddhi and
charas are generally inoffensive to their neighbours.
But as long as the effect lasts, they are very ex-
citable. Hot words, incoherent talk, and abuse
would often result where one would think there
was no sufficient provocation for them. Bed rol-
ling eyes would often show that the owner of
them is under the influence of any of these drugs;
and so people would take care how to talk with
him.
44. The immediate effect of the moderate use of
any of these drugs on the habitual consumer is
stimulating. I can't say whether it is refreshing.
Perhaps it is so. It does not produce intoxication,
but a little excitement. As long as the effect
lasts, the man does not feel hungry; but after
that, he does. One of its after-effects is a little
prostration. Want of subsequent gratification
does produce a longing and uneasiness. The
effect lasts for nearly an hour.
45. The habitual moderate use of all these drugs
produces noxious effects, physical, mental and
moral. It impairs the constitution of the con-
sumer and makes him look haggard and lank.
It
injures the digestion and causes dysentery, bron-
chitis and asthma. It impairs the moral sense
and induces habits of immorality and debauchery.
It also deadens the intellect and makes the
man devoid of common sense and reason, if not
insane. I am not aware of any instance in which
the habitual moderate use of ganja, charas or
siddhi has made the man insane. If want of
common sense and sometimes of reason is insani-
ty, then certainly does the habitual moderate use
of ganja produce insanity. But this is an insani-
ty of a very mild type which can be cured by giv-
ing up the habit and again induced by taking to
it. Habitual moderate consumers have lucid
intervals, that is to say, when they are not under
the influence of ganja, then they behave like
ordinary men.
46. The habitual excessive use of all of these
drugs ruins the man for ever. Physically, ment-
ally and morally, he is lost for good. I have seen
insane persons who are habitual excessive smokers
of ganja, but had no means to judge whether keen
mental anxiety or brain disease had anything to
do with it.
These men are always violent and do
not know or cannot comprehend what they do.
Hence, they behave like mad men. I should like
to do away with both habitual moderate and habi-