40
3. Bhang is cultivated to a very small extent
in Surat and Broach (about thirty-five acres in
all). The plant does not grow spontaneously; it
is cultivated like cereals, i.e., jawari and bajri,
and harvested in November and February, as is
the case with kharif and rabi crops. Alluvial
land is preferable; no special care or attention is
needed. Plants are also found here and there in
the compounds of temples. The Surat cultivators
collect only bhang, i.e., leaves and seeds from the
plant. Some of the Broach cultivators understand
the process of collecting bhang and ganja from
the plant. The plants, when ready, are uprooted,
made into bundles, and left to dry for three or
four days. The tops of ganja kalis are picked up
with hand, the plants are thrashed, and the
leaves and fine little branches are collected. The
mixture of leaves, fine little branches, and seeds
from the ganja tops is known by the name of
bhang. The plants are known as nar (male) and
mada (female) ; wild hemp grows in Palanpur.
8. Bhang cultivation is decreasing; profits
small compared with trouble of obtaining licenses
and finding purchaser.
9. Alluvial land is preferable. Method of cul
- t i v a t i o n s a m e a s t h a t p r a c t i s e d i n r e s p e c t t o
cereals.
1 0 . B e l o n g t o t h e o r d i n a r y c u l t i v a t i n g c l a s s e s .
11. As far as I know, ganja plants are not
raised from the seed of wild hemp.
12. As far as I know, wild hemp is not cul
-tivated.
13. The cultivator has to obtain a license to
cultivate hemp plant ; no duty is levied for the
grant of permit. The cultivator is bound to sell
his produce to licensed farmers only.
14 to 16. Please see answer No. 2.
17. Please see answer No. 2. Bhang and
ganja are prepared by the consumers themselves.
Yakuti is prepared by experts.
18. Both bhang and ganja deteriorate, if they
are kept longer than four or five months. Yakuti
also becomes ineffective and tasteless after two
or three months.
19. Ganja is used for smoking as described in
answer No. 2. Some people use ganja leaves for
eating with the object of producing its effect
without smoking ganja in a pipe.
20. Ganja is smoked by mendicants and low
- c l a s s B r a h m i n s ; a f e w a r t i z a n s a l s o s m o k e .
Ganja smoking is confined chiefly to towns and
cities. Village people seldom smoke ganja.
Hardly one per cent. of the male adult popula
- t i o n s m o k e s g a n j a . T h i s f i g u r e i s a r r i v e d a t a f t e r
due consideration of the material and economic
conditions of the several classes of people.
2 1 . G a n j a t r o d d e n u n d e r f o o t i s g e n e r a l l y u s e d .
2 3 . B h a n g i s n o t u s e d f o r s m o k i n g .
24. Bhang is generally drunk. To save time
habitual consumers sometimes eat bhang. Bhang
is drunk by well-to-do Hindus, a few Musalmans
and Parsis. The habitual consumers are chiefly
goldsmiths, jewellers and Brahmin mendicants.
Some village people drink bhang. Bhang
drinkers may be put at two per cent.
25. The use of bhang is decreasing among the
higher classes, Liquor has taken its place. The
use of ganja is stationary among the mendicants
a n d
f a k i r s w h o d o n o t t a k e t o l i q u o r d r i n k i n g .
Yakuti consumers are very few. Five in a
thousand
26.
Bhang. Yakuti. Ganja.
(a) Habitual moderate consumers 70
100
6 0
(b) Habitual excessive consumers
5
. . .
40
(c) Occasional moderate consumers 25
. . .
. . .
(d) Occasional excessive consumers
. . .
. . .
. . .
1 0 0
100
100
Bhang is drunk in small dose occasionally by
persons not accustomed to it. Ganja is consumed
by those who are habituated to it; occasional
consumers—classification is not applicable to ganja.
Bhang consumers are generally high class
Hindus, and in many cases well-to-do. Ganja
smokers are mendicants and poor, living chiefly
on alms.
Bhang.
Ganja.
Tolas. Cost. Tolas. Cost.
28. (a ) Habitual
moderate
consumers.
2 ¼ anna 4 1½ annas.
( b ) Habitual
excessive
consumers.
6-8 1 anna 10-12 4 annas.
The above figures represent the allowance of
first class moderate and excessive consumers re
- s p e c t i v e l y . T h e o r d i n a r y e x p e n s e s o f m o d e r a t e
consumers vary from 1/12 anna to1/10 in the case
o f a b h a n g c o n s u m e r , a n d f r o m ½ a n n a t o o n e a n n a
in the case of a ganja consumer.
29. It is the practice with some excessive
smokers to mix dhatura and opium with ganja,
the object being to intensify the effect of intoxi
- c a t i o n .
Bhang massala consists of black pper,
almonds, poppy seeds, sugar, dried rose flower
and pistachio seeds.
30. Bhang is drunk openly; no dishonor is
attached to it; occasional drinkers do not drink
in solitude. Moderate and excessive habitual
consumers drink singly, if there is no company.
Mendicants smoke ganja publicly, though shame
i s a t t a c h e d t o i t . A f e w p r o s t i t u t e s a n d l o w c a s t e w o m e n d r i n k b h a n g .
31. The habit is easily formed; it is not diffi
- c u l t t o b r e a k o f f . B u t t h e m e n d i c a n t s w i l l n o t g i v e
up ganja smoking. In the case of ganja, there
is a tendency for the moderate habit to develop
into the excessive.
32. Bhang is the favourite drink of the followers
of the Shiva sect. On Shivaratri and other days
connected with the worship of Shiva (Mahadev)
bhang is religiously used by the devotees. This
practice does not lead to the formation of habit.
Ganja does not form an article of worship.
33. No dishonour attaches to a moderate bhang
drinker; bhang is drunk openly either singly or
in company; excessive bhang drinkers are taunted
and ridiculed; ganja smokers are held low in the
estimation of the high class Hindus, but they are
not hated or despised as liquor drinkers, who are
regarded as very low in point of social position.
Liquor drinking is against religion, so it is gene
- r a l l y i n d i s r e p u t e . B h a n g a n d g a n j a d o n o t
pollute the consumer from a religious point of
view.
34. Bhang drinkers generally belong to respec
- t a b l e a n d o r d e r l y c l a s s e s o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n ; g a n j a
smokers are chiefly mendicants, without homes or
families in many cases. Any attempt to restrict
the use of ganja by means of heavy duties will be
looked upon by the ganja smokers as a great