Ganja.
Bhang.
(a) about 5 per cent
3 per cent.
( b) " 1" . . .
(c)"3". . . 1 per cent.
(d)"1" . . .
27. Weavers, fakirs, gosavis and day-labourers
mainly use these drugs. People who are total
abstainers pay constant visits to the ascetics and
thus come in contact with persons who are already
addicted to the vice and thereby follow the example
of their brethren.
28. It is said that an habitual moderate con
-
sumer requires daily 1 tola of ganja which costs
him 6 pies, and an habitual excessive consumer
requires 10 tolas which cost him about 5 annas,
according to the rates now prevailing here. An
habitual moderate consumer of bhang has to
spend daily 1½ pies, and an excessive consumer
3 pies.
29. Tobacco is ordinarily mixed with ganja
for the purpose of smoking, Cardamoms and
V o l . v i i .
65
3. In none of the districts in the Southern
Mahratta country the hemp plant grows sponta
-
neously.
4 . T h e p l a n t s d o n o t g r o w w i l d h e r e .
5 and 6. As the plant does not grow wild here,
I am unable to answer these questions.
7. The hemp plant has been cultivated only
at Bijapur on a very small scale for the produc-
tion of ganja and bhang only for the last two
years. Charas is not prepared here. The plant
is grown in this part of the country as a narcotic
and not as a fibre plant. The area sown in 1892
at Bijapur was about 13 acres.
8.
The area under hemp plant in 1893 is only
about 4½ acres. The reason for the decrease in the
area under cultivation is due to the fact that there
is a considerable stock in hand of the yield of the
last year.
9 . A s r e g a r d s t h e m e t h o d o f c u l t i v a t i o n , I
beg to refer to paragraph 3 of my report, No. 562,
dated the 30th August last, printed at page 7 of
the note submitted to Government by the Com
-
missioner of Customs, Salt, Opium and Abkari,
with his letter No. 4752, dated 11th September
1 8 9 3 .
10. The person who has been cultivating hemp
plant for the last two years at Bijapur, is a mar
-
vadi, but not an expert. He has, however, secured
the services of two experts from Lengria in the
Satara district. Generally the agricultural culti
-
vators do not know how to cultivate the plant ;
but the agricultural operations common to the
production of this and other plants are carried on
by the ordinary cultivators.
11. The plants are never cultivated in this
district for the production of ganja from the seed
of wild hemp.
12. As the plants do not grow wild in this
part of the country, I am unable to answer this
question.
13. The cultivation of the hemp plant is not
restricted in this part of the country ; but the
cultivator cannot manufacture the drug without
a license to be granted by the Collector on this
behalf in the Form B, sanctioned by Government,
and the drug can only be sold to persons duly
licensed to sell the same by wholesale. I am not
aware of any special conditions of climate, rainfall
and elevation above sea level, but I think it can be
grown in red or loamy soil as an irrigated crop.
Except in parts of the Badami taluka where the
soil is sandy and rocky, I am of opinion the plant
can be cultivated as an irrigated crop with success
in any other part of this district.
14. Yes; ganja and bhang are produced from
the hemp plant cultivated at Bijapur. Charas is
not prepared here. As regards the extent, I beg
to refer to paragraph 4 of my report above quoted.
15. Vide paragraphs 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of
my report above alluded to. (b) The hemp plants
do not grow wild here.
16. No; the people do not prepare bhang in
their houses. Yes ; it can be prepared from the
hemp plant grown in any place. The last part
of the question cannot be answered because the
plants do not grow wild here.
1 7 . B y a n y c l a s s o f p e o p l e ; b u t g e n e r a l l y t h e
M u h a m m a d a n s p r e p a r e t h e m a j u m o r m a j u n .
The ghota is prepared occasionally by higher
castes of Hindus.
1 8 . Y e s ; t h e y d o . A f t e r a b o u t f i v e y e a r s
these drugs lose their intoxicating property, and
become quite useless for consumption. The drugs
can be kept in good condition with ordinary care
for two years. So far as I can ascertain from the
people who generally deal in these drugs, I learn
that no special measures can be taken to prevent
deterioration after two years.
19. Yes; charas is not at all used in this part
of the country. Ganja is used only for smoking.
As regards other uses of ganja and its seeds, I
beg a reference to paragraphs 6, 13 and 14 of my
report above quoted.
20. As regards classes, vide the concluding
portion of paragraph 5 of my report.
The proportion of the ganja-smoking people
is estimated to be 30 per cent. in the Sholapur,
Satara, Ahmednagar and Poona districts, and 10
p e r c e n t . i n t h e So u t h e r n Ma h r a t t a c o u n t r y .
21. Only the flat ganja is used in this district.
I, however, learn that there is no difference in the
intoxicating nature of the different kinds of
ganja.
22. Charas is not at all used in the Bijapur
district.
23. As far as I can ascertain, bhang is not
used for smoking in this part of the country.
24. Generally the Muhammadans eat and drink
bhang in the shape of fakki and ghot a. The pro
-
portion of bhang-eaters ( a ) is estimated to be
1 per cent., and that of bhang-drinkers about 3
per cent. I have actually come across a Gondhali
or a Joshiger at Dharwar who used to eat in my
presence mere bhang powder mixed with cold
water, then ground on a stone and made into
small balls. If I remember right, I think he used
to eat at one time from 20 to 40 tolas.
25. The use of ganja and bhang is on the
increase, the rate of the increase being about 2 or
3 per cent. every year. This can be attributed
to the fact that if there is a sadhu, an arudh or a
fakir, making his residence in a certain locality,
it is invariably the case that good many people
living in the vicinity flock in numbers around him,
and 1 have observed that such resorts are the chief
rendezvous of ganja-smoking. This contagion
is spreading every day with the increased facilities
of communications, as the so-called sadhus are now
able to wander from place to place without much
inconvenience and trouble.
26. The following is the proportion of the
consumers of the drugs :—