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54. Evidence of MR. H. KENNEDY, District Superintendent of Police, Ahmednagar.
1. Have quest i oned my subor di nat es and
persons acquainted with the cultivation and sale
of hemp drugs ; also those who are addicted to
their consumption .
2. Yes, the definitions are correct, but round
ganja is not known in this district, nor is chur,
but bhusa or ganja dust is known and is somewhat
equivalent to chur. It is exported to Europe,
and is also used occasionally in place of bhang,
having a milder effect. Ganja bhusa or ganja
dust, charas, and bhang are all known, the latter
when taken in the form of a beverage being also
known as ghota ( the common term here) and
thandai.
3. In the Nagar district only. Talukas Nagar,
Karjat, Newasa, Rahuri, Kopergaon, Sheogaon,
Parner, Shrigonda. Abundant in the first three.
4. Male plant is generally called bhangera;
female plant ganja. The latter is also known as
green tobacco. All refer to the same plant.
5. Wild hemp is apparently unknown. It
does grow, however, as I have a male and female
plant in my compound, from which I gather it
grows elsewhere, though I have not seen or heard
of it.
6. There is a kind of ganja which is known
as ran ganja, but this term is only applied to
ganja that depends upon the rainfall, as distinct
from well water or irrigation, for its cultivation.
7. (a) Yes.
(b) Charas is also produced in the picking
and preparation of the plant for ganja ; but it is
not produced specially for consumption ; or, if so,
it is surreptitiously so used. At Maka, taluka
Newasa, and at Kamargaon, taluka Nagar, it is
cultivated for seed purposes.
(c) and ( d ) Yes.
8. The plants grown exclusively for seed pur-
poses are known as bhang plants, because the best
bhang comes from them.
9. Garden land and black soil are best for its
cultivation. A plentiful supply of water and
careful manuring required ; also ploughing and
harrowing. One man required to watch every three
bigas of land cultivated, for weeding. The male
plant has to be carefully eliminated when cultivat
- i n g f o r p r o d u c t i o n o f g a n j a . O n e m a l e p l a n t w i l l
sterilise a whole field of ganja.
In cultivating for seed purposes the female
plant is eliminated.
10. The ordinary cultivator class. Some
Brahmins grow the hemp also.
11. Not known, but probably not as far as this
district is concerned, as wild hemp is not known.
The result would probably be spurious ganja.
12. No, so far as this district is concerned.
13. A permit has to be obtained for the prepa
- r a t i o n o f g a n j a b u t n o t f o r t h e c u l t i v a t i o n o f t h e
hemp plant— vide answer to question 9.
The Akola and Sangamner talukas
b e i n g i n p a r t s r o c k y w o u l d n o t b e s u i t a b l e f o r t h e c u l t i v a -
tion of the hemp plant to any great extent.
14. Yes, everywhere where the hemp plant is
cultivated, but chiefly Nagar.
Charas can be procured direct from the culti-
vators if wanted, but is not prepared ordinarily for
consumption.
15. The hemp plant grows to about the height
of a man. Ganja, when plucked, has to be left to
dry ; it is then trodden, again left to dry and again
trodden, before it is fit to use. When required for
consumption, it is well washed and pressed, the
cleansing process being frequently resorted to. In
fact, the oftener it is washed the stronger it be-
comes. It is then mixed with dry tobacco and
smoked, the admixture bringing out its effects.
If smoked in the crude state, it is said to produce
cough and chest affections. It is also eaten with
salt, pepper, and ghee, called fakki, when mixed
in this way. It can be, but is never, eaten by
itself ; pepper is a sine qua non if nothing else is
mixed with it. Ganja is also made up into sweet-
meats. When required for this purpose, it is put
into a pot of water boiled, and then some ghee is
added. The water is boiled away, and the ganja-
impregnated ghee remains, and is mixed with
other ingredients, such as sugar, kuskus, almonds,
and spices of sorts. It is then said to be highly
intoxicating, and its effects last a longer time.
When made up into sweetmeats, it goes by the
names of majum, gulkand and yakuti, for which
preparations a license to sell is required. Ganja
is also sometimes but rarely mixed with water and
drunk, but never neat. Pepper is always mixed
with it. In this form it is called ganja ghota.
Bhang is sometimes eaten, but almost always
taken in the form of a drink, in which case it is
called ghota, also thandai. The leaves of the seed-
ing hemp plant called bhang plant make the best
bhang. They are used just as they are picked.
First they are baked or heated, and then put into
a pot of water to boil. The water is then strained
off. The residue is well washed, and the result is
ghota. Like ganja, the more it is washed the
stronger it gets. When thus prepared, it is taken
with water, milk and sugar. When mixed with
other ingredients, it is well ground, washed, and
strained. The liquid only is taken. Charas is
never or very seldom taken by the people of the
district. It is used by foreigners. It is mere
-ly the glutinous substance that adheres to the
hands and feet of those who pluck and tread the
hemp plant while preparing it for ganja. The
substance is scraped off the hands and feet, and
made up into little balls or plugs of a black colour,
pieces of which are taken and smoked with dry
tobacco.
To summarise. Ganja is invariably smoked,
bhang is used as beverage, both being capable of
consumption in the form of sweetmeats. Charas,
when used at all, is invariably smoked.
16. Bhang is generally prepared by the people
in their houses. It can be prepared from the
hemp plant wherever grown. It is also prepared
at, q u a s i
- p u b l i c p l a c e s , s u c h a s t e m p l e s , d h a r m s a l a s ,
and. places set apart for the purpose.
17. Cultivators of the hemp plant, sweetmeat
sellers, and those who consume the preparations.
18. Ganja keeps for two years, gradually
deteriorating in strength. Bhang for one year,
gradually deteriorating in strength. Charas will
keep for about a year, after which it loses its
effect. It gets dry within that period, and has