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Bhang ( i.e ., fragments of the ganja) is ground
and put into milk mixed up with cardamoms,
almonds, poppy seed, sugar, sweet fennel, nutmeg,
black pepper and mace, and strained several times
and drunk. This is called bhang ghota.
Ganja is used for smoking thus: It is first
washed, until it ceases to give out green water.
By this washing process it becomes gummy. One
tola of ganja is sufficient to fill in two to three
smoking pipes. As ganja is put in the smoking
pipe in its wet state, one-half tola of tobacco is
mixed with it, or placed above and below it to
make it ignite.
Bhang is also converted into small cakes by
boiling it with ghi and sugar. This is called
majum or yakuti. This is eaten.
There are no wild hemp plants in the Deccan.
16. Ghota from bhang for drinking is prepared
by the drinkers in their own houses. It cannot be
prepared from the hemp plant in its raw state
wherever it is growing. Ganja and charas cannot,
I think, be prepared from the wild plants wherever
grown. But there are no such wild plants in this
district.
17. I have already stated in answer to the query
No. 14 that charas and ganja are prepared by the
cultivators themselves. Ghota from bhang for
drinking is prepared by the Gosavis, and in some
cases by other people, on Shivaratra day. Ghota
from bhang is more used by all classes at Indore
and in the North-Western Provinces.
18. Ganja, charas and bhang deteriorate by
keeping. Ganja and bhang become less effective
next year, and useless as a narcotic after three years.
Charas is of use till the next rains, when vermin
commence to make appearance therein and dimi
-
nish its value. The causes of deterioration are
that the resinous and gummy matter which exists
in these articles dries up or deteriorates. There
are no preventive means known here.
19. Ganja is used for smoking throughout the
Collectorate. Charas is used for the same purpose,
but very seldom in this part of the country, on
account of its costliness.
20. The smoking of ganja is very rare among
Brahmins and females of all classes, save prosti
-
tutes of the worst type, With these exceptions
three or four per cent. of the other classes smoke
ganja to a smaller or larger extent throughout the
Collectorate. Charas is rarely in use,
21. Flat ganja, which is alone obtainable here,
is smoked.
22. Charas locally prepared is rarely used. No
importation of foreign charas occurs, so far as
I
know.
23. Bhang is not used for smoking.
24. The classes who drink bhang ghota are
bairagis, gosavis, and on Shivaratra day a few
more Hindus, mostly cooks, water-carriers, song
-
sters, and other licentious characters. This kind of
drinking prevails in the country lying north of the
Narbada river. The proportion of the people
who drink bhang ghota is very small, i.e. , one in
a thousand, in the Satara Collectorate.
Majum or yakuti, the preparation of bhang, as
per reply to query No. 15, is not permitted in the
Satara Collectorate, and therefore it is seldom
eaten.
25. The use of ganja is on the increase for the
following reasons:—
1stly.—Now a-days there is no control over
the private conduct of any one, owing to
the freedom of action existing under the
British Government.
2ndly.— The English education and the preach
-
ing of the missionaries destroy in some
measure the fear of the Hindu religion
without contracting that of any other.
3rdly.— The Penal Code defamation section
stops the mouths and actions of respectable
men, who would otherwise rebuke those
indulging in bad habits and excommunicate
them.
4thly.—In consequence of the removal of the
fear and restraint of religion and society
people are becoming more debauched, and
consequently the use of narcotics and alco
-
hols is on the increase.
26. I think the proportion of the consumers of
ganja is as under : —
(a) Habitual moderate consumers, 2 per cent.
( b ) Habitual excessive consumers, 1 in a
thousand.
(c) Occasional moderate consumers, 1 per cent.
( d ) Occasional excessive consumers, none.
Charas smokers and bhang drinkers are rare.
27. Men devoid of any status in life, who do
not care for other people's opinions, and who
frequent houses of prostitutes, generally contract
the habit of smoking ganja. Some also contract
it by having for their associates smokers of the
drug.
28. The average allowance and cost of ganja
to each ( a ) habitual moderate consumer, who is
supposed to smoke thrice a day, is one tola,
costing three pies, and to (b) habitual excessive
consumer is six tolas, costing one and a half anna.
I know of a few persons who require 2½ annas
worth of ganja per day, but the whole of it is not
consumed themselves. Other smokers assemble
round about them, and they partake of it a little.
29. Dhatura is used along with ganja by
gosains exceptionally to secure greater intoxi-
- c a t i o n . T h e r e i s n o s u c h p r e p a r a t i o n c a l l e d b h a n g
or ghota massala. The ingredients required for
the ghota, as described in answer to query No. 15,
are purchased from the bazar whenever wanted.
30. It is not habitual for children to consume
any of these drugs, and as it is not honourable
for adults to use them also they are used privately,
but in small companies. The use is mostly confined
to the male sex, prostitutes, and women of loose
character.
31. The habit of consuming any of these drugs
is not formed at once, because they are at first
occasionally and stealthily used, as it is not con
-
sidered honourable to use them. When one has
no fear for the loss of character and no one to
find fault with him, then he can contract the
habit within one mouth. Moderate habit always
develops into the excessive, and then it is difficult
to break off.
32. There is no religious or social custom
requiring the consumption of any of these drugs.
33. The consumption of any of these drugs is
regarded with disdain. The practice is not sup
-
ported by public opinion. Respectable people
regard the use of these narcotics as disreputable