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children are said to suffer. The methods of pre-
paration of the cultivated plant are — (A) For smok-
ing the flowering tops are rubbed with water and
well washed with water until they are clean; when
they are ready to be put into the chillum , it is
mixed with a little (half to quarter the weight)
tobacco and smoked. (B) The methods for eating
are thus prepared :
—
(1)A preparation called chukti. Take one tola
of well-washed ganja and half fry it in melted
butter, then set it to cool. Then pound it with
quarter of a tola of black pepper and somph (ani-
seed). Then add double the weight of refined
sugar, and eat morning and evening. The richer
people flavour the whole with the addition of from
1 to 4 tolas of sliced almonds, a small quantity of
saffron and cardamoms. The poorest people use
ganja mixed up with jagri.
(2)
Mahn. Boil ganja in an untinned copper
utensil ; then, after straining off the water, again
boil it over a slow fire with half its weight of melt-
ed butter in four times the quantity of water for
about 7 or 8 hours ; strain through a coarse cloth
and let it stand to cool the whole night. Then
skim and add syrup according to taste. The fol-
lowing are also added to give flavour and increase
the narcotic strength, viz., nutmeg, selap and safed
misri, almonds, pepper, askandh, cloves, pimpli (Piper
longum), mace, and saffron. Sometimes a little
opium is added. The dose is three-quarters of a
tola at a time.
( C) Preparations for drinking : Take the leaves
of the hemp plant and macerate in cold water with
pepper ; then after straining the decoction is poured
10 or 15 times from one vessel to another from a
height and then drunk. But the well-to-do people
follow a more elaborated process. The leaves are
first boiled and then put into cold water after being
well pounded. Strain the decoction and drink it
after adding the following—milk, sugar according
to taste, and the pounded and macerated condiments
as follows : poppy seeds, pepper, aniseed, cucumber
seed and rose leaves ; after all put in sliced almonds.
N.B.—The decoction of the leaves is several times
poured from a height from one vessel to another,
in order, it is supposed, to obtain the full effect of
the narcotic principle contained in it.
16. Only prepared in houses. The wild plant
does not yield either ganja or charas.
17. Made by all classes for home consumption.
The preparation of the product called majum is
usually sold by licensed sellers, but seldom made
at home, as it involves trouble.
18. Yes. Ganja loses its effects in two years
or thereabouts. For about two years with care it
keeps good. Ordinary process of decay produces
deterioration, which cannot be wholly prevented,
but retarded by keeping ganja in a cool and dry
place. The above remarks apply to bhang.
19. Ganja is used for smoking and eating,
charas for smoking only in other parts of India.
Besides the uses described in answer to the 15th
question, ganja is medicinally used by native
physicians all over the province.
20. All religious mendicants, such as fakirs,
gosains, bairagis ; also Muhammadans, bhois, day-
labourers, cooks and artisans are mostly given to
ganja smoking, and is not limited to any locality
in particular. Charas is not used at all in this
province.
21. at and round ganja are preferred for
smoking. Different kinds are used in different
places, as it is available. In Berar flat ganja is
used. Round ganja is better than flat ganja and
is used in Bengal and North-Western Provinces.
22. Native charas is chiefly used in other parts
of India.
23. No, it is not used for smoking at all.
24. (a) Bhang is occasionally used for eating.
It is used more for drinking and by almost all
classes of people in India and in hot parts of the
country, specially by pardeshis, Marwaris and
Brahmins and other persons in Northern India.
Generally it is drunk in hot weather. In Northern
India the proportion will be 50 per cent., and in
other parts 5 to 15 per cent.
Not restricted to any locality.
25. Judging from the published returns of
retail sales, the use of ganja (charas not being
used) seems to have slightly increased ; the reason,
apparently, being that it is a cheap intoxicant.
26. (a) About 90 per cent.
(b) About 10.
(c) Five per cent.
(d) A b o u t o n e p e r c e n t .
27. Almost all classes, but principally those
enumerated in answer No. 20. Privation, hard
work, celibacy and asceticism lead to the habitual
practice.
28. (a) Ganja. From one to two tolas, cost 2
to 12 pies.
(b) From 6 to 12 tolas. As regards cost,
1 to 8 annas.
With regard to bhang.
(a) From 2 to 4 tolas, (b) from 8 to 12 tolas.
The average cost per tola of ganja is from 2 to
6 pies.
Bhang is sold at 6 to 10 tolas per quarter anna.
Marwar bhang is sold at 2 tolas for 3 pies.
(a) Bhang : cost per diem 1 to 3 pies.
(b) Bhang : cost per diem 3 to 12 pies.
29. Ganja is mixed ordinarily with tobacco, and
exceptionally with opium, nutmeg and sandalwood :
the two first to increase the narcotic action and
the last for flavouring. Dhatura is seldom used,
and is confined to religious mendicants. The
mixtures with bhang and ganja when eaten are
given in reply No. 15. Bhang massala is unknown
in this province.
30. With the exception of charas, the drugs are
consumed mostly in company, rarely in solitude.
Except the preparations for eating as described
elsewhere (reply No. 15), ganja is confined chiefly
to the male sex. A few prostitutes take ganja.
The practice is not confined to any time of life ;
but with regard to bhang, women and children in
Upper India partake of it generally, but very rarely
in this province, where the males are the principal
consumers. Ganja is generally consumed from
the time of youth.
31. The habit is easily formed when in company
with habitual consumers of ganja and bhang.
It is difficult to break off. There is a tendency
to excess.
32. As regards ganja, no customs social or
religious can be quoted; but as to bhang, when.
the Shivaratri festival arrives, the preparation is
used to bathe the image of Shiva, the destroyer.
This custom prevails in Upper India, but is not
regarded as essential. In Berar bhang is consumed
moderately at the festival of Shivaratri. It is not
likely to lead to the formation of a habit, nor is
it injurious.