231
30. Ganja is usually smoked in company ; bhang
is also drunk in company. Both ganja and bhang
are, however, used by individuals when alone.
Ganja is usually smoked by males and the same
may be said with reference to bhang. In the
course of my experience I have seen only about
three females smoking ganja and drinking bhang ;
and these women were not of good character.
The consumption of ganja and bhang is seldom
begun before the age of sixteen, and the use is
continued to all ages. It is not usual for children
to consume any of these drugs.
31. The habit of consuming ganja and bhang
is easily formed if the individual associates with
persons who use these drugs. If the habit of
consuming ganja and bhang becomes habitual, it
is difficult to break it off. There is some tendency
for the moderate habit to develop into the excessive.
32. I know that offerings of bhang are made
to the god Shiva in the months of April, May
and June. During August and September these
offerings are made also. Bhang mixed with water
or milk is poured over the ling of Shiva. These
offerings are made with a view of gaining favour
of the god. It is a very common custom with
ganja smokers, before beginning to smoke, to make
offering by using the words " Lena Shankar "
or " Lena Babulnath " or " Lena Bhuleshwar "
or " Lena Babulnath tekariwalle, najar
l c h a t m a r J o v e . "
A f t e r m a k i n g t h e o f f e r i n g t o
the god the ganja smoker sometimes says : "Jine
nahi pi ganje ki kali o ladkese ladki
The offering of bhang to Shankar or Shiva is
common and understood to be pleasing to the god.
The custom of offering of bhang to Shiva is not
likely, I think, to lead to the formation of the
habit of using the drug.
33. The smoking of ganja in public is not
regarded as respectable. I know that highly
respectable and enlightened native gentlemen do
smoke ganja privately. The public opinion is
that it is not respectable to smoke ganja. The
drinking of bhang is not considered as disrespect.
able as the smoking of ganja. Still an individual
does not like it to be known generally that he
drinks bhang. I attribute the sentiment to the
fact that excessive use of any or these drugs may
cause a man to speak or act foolishly. I know
of no custom of worshipping the hemp plant.
34. It would be a serious privation to con-
sumers of ganja and bhang to forego the consump-
tion of these drugs. It would be a privation to
break off the habit. In some cases life and health
will suffer, and it would be a serious deprivation
in connection with the religious custom connected
with the offerings to the god Shiva.
35. I do not think that it would be feasible to
prohibit the use of any of these drugs. The drugs
will be illicitly consumed if at all obtainable.
Prohibition could only be enforced by stopping
the cultivation of the hemp plant. Prohibition
would certainly occasion serious discontent among
the consumers. In my opinion this discontent
would amount to a political danger. Prohi-
bition would be followed, in my opinion, by
recourse in the greater number of cases to
alcoholic stimulants or other drugs.
36. I think that alcohol is now being substi-
tuted for these drugs to a certain extent especially
among those people having an English education.
I attribute the cause to fashion. I speak from my
personal experience.
37. I am not well acquainted with charas
smoking. I have smoked a very few times. I
found charas very much stronger than ganja in
its effects. The intoxication from charas is greater
than from ganja, the throat is more parched, and
the eyes become redder than when ganja is smoked.
38. I know flat ganja and garda. I have never
myself smoked garda, but I have heard of
its being smoked by the very poor classes of
smokers.
39. The least injurious form of the use of hemp
drugs is bhang drinking. Ganja is, I know, very
occasionally consumed in the form of a drink like
bhang. This mode of consuming the drug is,
believe, injurious. It is less injurious to smoke
ganja than to drink it. On one occasion I
happened to drink ganja and found the effects so
strong that I had to take quarter of a seer of ghee
to moderate the effect.
40. Hemp drugs are prescribed by native doc-
tors on account of their medicinal properties.
Ganja smoking is prescribed for indigestion by
native doctors. In my own case, when I was
about eighteen years of age, I first began to smoke
ganja as a medicinal remedy, and the effect of the
remedy was successful. Bhang is prescribed by
some native doctors as a tonic.
41. The moderate habitual smoker and the
moderate occasional smoker of ganja finds that
the smoking of the drug improves his diges-
tion. The smoking alleviates fatigue. It enables
the individual to concentrate his thoughts. It
acts as a preventive of disease in unwholesome
climates and where unwholesome water is only
obtainable. The moderate habitual and moderate
occasional use of bhang before meals acts as a
tonic or appetizer.
42. I regard the moderate use of ganja and
bhang as beneficial and harmless. I have already
given reasons for these conclusions.
43. The moderate consumers of ganja and bhang
are quite inoffensive to their neighbours.
44. The immediate effect of the moderate use of
ganja on the habitual consumer is instantaneous
intoxication. It sets the mind at ease. It pro-
duces an appetite. The effect lasts for one
to two hours. Immediately after finishing my
smoke of ganja I drink about half seer of milk,
and this prevents the parching of the throat and
refreshes me. I enjoy good sound sleep after-
wards and suffer no ill after-effects. The want of
subsequent gratification does produce longing and
uneasiness. I have been a moderate habitual con-
sumer for the last thirty years.
45. The habitual moderate use of ganja in my
own case has not produced any noxious effects,
physical, mental or moral.
I am now forty-nine years of age and enjoy
excellent health. I eat well and sleep sound. I
work at home in the mornings and attend office
usually from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. In my own case,
when I have a difficult case to look into, 1. usually
take it up alter my smoke, and I find that I can
deal better with the matter than I could without
first having smoked. In my opinion the moderate
use of ganja brightens the intellect. 1 think it
absolutely necessary that the ganja smoker should
have nutritious food.
46. The habitual excessive use of ganja and
bhang is bad. The effects of such a hiibit are
very much worse on the individual in the case
where he is unable to obtain good food.
47. in my own case I have a son aged twenty-
two years. He is my only child, now alive. He
does not indulge in intoxicants of any kind and