223
effect on their health. In Sind about 60
per cent. of population use the drugs,
specially bhang moderately.
42. The moderate use of these drugs is harmless
for reasons given above.
43. Moderate or even excessive consumers of
any of these drugs are harmless and inoffensive to
their neighbours. They are never aggressive.
44. The immediate effect of the moderate use of
any of these drugs on the habitual consumer is
refreshing. It produces slight intoxication. It
allays hunger and creates appetite, Its effects
last for five or six hours, and the after-effects are
not bad.
45. The habitual moderate use of any of these
drugs does not produce any noxious effects. It
does not impair the constitution nor does it injure
the digestion or cause loss of appetite. It is
said to prevent dysentery, bronchitis, or asthma.
It does not impair the moral sense or induce
laziness or habits of immorality or debauchery.
Moderate drinking of bhang and smoking of ganja
does not deaden the intellect and produce insanity ;
and I have no personal knowledge of any moderate
consumer becoming insane or suffering from any
mental anxiety or brain disease. Nor can the
fakirs or sadhus whom I have consulted lay their
hand on a particular person by way of example.
46. Habitual excessive use of these drugs is
simply injurious, but personally I do not know
any habitual excessive consumer becoming insane,
nor have I been informed of any case by the fakirs
and sadhus with whom I have been meeting and dis-
cussing this matter. To such consumers the drugs
are harmless, but to novices it is very harmful.
47 and 48. It is not hereditary, nor does it affect
the children of moderate consumers so far as I
know and I am informed by the fakirs and sadhus.
49 and 50. I do not know; but Persian medical
books, mentioned in paragraph 40, recommend use
of bhang and majum (bhang sweetmeat) for excite-
ment of passion and sexual intercourse.
51. There are not many bad characters I know
of who are habitual moderate consumers of any of
these drugs the use of which discourages crimes.
52. Excessive use of any of these drugs will
make the consumers afraid of doing any such
thing.
53. Excessive indulgence in any of these drugs
does not incite to unpremeditated crime, violent or
otherwise. I do not know of any case in which it
has led to temporary homicidal frenzy.
54. From what I know, these drugs have the
advantage of discouraging any act of violence or
crime. There is a Sindhi proverb that a bhangi
(bhang drinker) may boast of high deeds, but
when he is once drunk he is powerless to do any-
thing. The defeat of the Sindhis at the battle
of Miani near Hyderabad is always attributed to
the effects of bhang.
55. Criminals, in order to further their designs,
induce their victims to partake of any of these
drugs. Complete stupefaction is produced with
the admixture of dhatura.
56. The effects of hemp used in moderation or
in excess, mixed with dhatura, greatly increase
intoxication.
57. Ganja is said to be eaten in Faizabad on the
Gomti. In a company of fakirs or bairagis, a
basket or box of ganja is passed round. It is said
to be very intoxicating. I have no personal ex-
perience of this.
60 and 61. No.
62. No. It is quite feasible. The practice of
obtaining a license before hemp is cultivated is
quite sufficient.
63. No.
64. The present restrictions are quite sufficient.
65. The present taxation on bhang, charas, and
ganja is excessive. If it is reduced, it will not
affect alcoholic or other intoxicants.
66 and 67. No.
68. There are shops for the sale of these drugs,
also of their preparations. These are harmless
places
69. No ; the wishes of the people are not con-
sulted when a shop is opened in any locality ; I
think people should be consulted.
70. I am not aware.
116. Evidence of RAO BAHADUR VENKAT RANGO KATTI, Pensioner, Dharwar.
1 . M y p e r s o n a l e x p e r i e n c e a n d i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m t w o f r i e n d s w h o h a v e s e r v e d l o n g i n t h e A b k a r i
department, and intimacy with persons using hemp
drugs.
2. Nothing but seed is produced from the male.
Ganja, bhang and all varieties come from the
female. Round ganja is not sold in this district.
3. Hemp neither grows spontaneously nor is
cultivated in the Dharwar district. The Jath
State is the nearest tract to Dharwar where the
plant is cultivated. I have, however, seen the
male plant spontaneously grown singly in my
garden once or twice.
7. No.
14. No. Ganja and bhang come from the Satara
district, especially from a town named Lengre.
Charas is never sold in the bazar, and scarcely any
man knows it.
15. Preparations for eating and drinking :—
Rough majum.—Ganja cleaned and dried on
fire is powdered and strained through cloth.
The powder is then put in a strong (pakka)
syrup prepare o re fined sugar or raw sugar
while on fire. The mixture is immediately
poured on a smooth board greased with ghee,
and when it cools, it is cut into small slices
for use. This majum was formerly sold under
license, but latterly from about ten years it
is not sold in the bazar.
Refined majum.—Ganja, washed perfectly clean
by rubbing with hands in water, is boiled in
water. When the water assumes green
colour, butter in the proportion of one-half
kacha seer to half a seer of ganja is put in
the boiling water. When a thick green
cream is seen on the surface, the pot is re-
moved from fire, and its contents are strained
through a rough woollen cloth so as the
strained water containing the essence of ganja
mixed with butter would fall into the basin of
cold water. When the water cools, a thick solid
cream formed on the surface in the basin is
carefully removed and the water thrown away.
Then a pakka syrup of kacha 6 seers of good
sugar is prepared, in which half a nutmeg, ¼