3 0 3
of land. It is cultivated in large quantities in
Bubak and Arazi, taluka Sehwan, district Kara-
chi, and in talukas Naushahro Ahro and Sukkur,
district Shikarpur. It is cultivated with the
object of being used as bhang and for seeds.
Ganja is not manufactured in Sind, and is im-
ported from Panvel and Cutch. Charas is not
prepared in Sind, but is imported from the
Punjab.
10. The bhang cultivators do not form a special
class, but belong to the same classes as other
agricultural cultivators.
14. Bhang and hemp seeds are prepared from
the hemp plant in the fields where it grows.
15. The cultivated plant is cut, dried and beaten,
when the leaves and seeds are separated. The leaves
and seeds are made into bhang drink.
(A) Aghoris (i.e., persons very much addicted
to the use of drugs), who are in the habit of smok-
ing ganja, smoke bhang instead, as ganja, if they
cannot get ganja at the proper time.
(B) Excessive bhang drinkers eat raw leaves if
they cannot get Chang drink at the proper time.
(C) Bhang drink is made in the following way.
It is first cleared of weeds, soaked in water in a
vessel, washed and pounded in a mortar with a
pestle, and made into balls. Water is then mixed
with it. After which it is sifted through a piece
of cloth and drunk. Ganja and charas are mixed
with tobacco, and then smoked.
16. Yes. It is prepared and kept in tikanas
and madhis for free distribution. Yes, it can be
prepared.
17. In Sind bhang cultivators prepare bhang
leaves and Chang seeds,
18. Yes, chaias, ganja and Chang retain their
intoxicating effects for twelve months, after which
period they lose their effect by degrees, and quite
deteriorate after the lapse of three years. But
bhang and ganja, if kept in bags, will not lose their
effects for three years. If charas is allowed to
remain in the original bags in which it is imported,
it will not lose effect for two years ; but if trans-
ferred to other bags and exposed, it will commence to
deteriorate after twelve months, because the original
bags in which it is imported are made of double
leather. There is probability of bhang and ganja
deteriorating, as it is grown from earth, and, like
corn, it will lose its effect as time passes. There
are no means to prevent deterioration.
19. Yes, they are used for smoking only.
20. Hindus and Mussalmans. Among Hindus,
Brahmins, sanyasis, bairagis, jangams, udasis,
shatrias, jogis and other fakirs ; three-fourths of the
above Classes smoke ganja and charas ; of other
Hindus one-fourth only smoke them. Among
Mussalmans half of lower classes of people and
fakirs, and half of these smoke in large quantities in
tikanas, madhis and otaras, and in very small
quantity and rarely in their houses.
21. Flat ganja is used in Sind. Only one sort
is used.
22. Foreign charas is used. Formerly Pathans
used to bring it. Now it is imported from the
Punjab.
23. Not generally. But aghoris, i . e . ,
p e r s o n s
very much addicted to the smoking of ganja, do
smoke bhang when they cannot get ganja.
Some poor persons, coolies, Bhils, who are in the
habit of smoking ganja, use the ghundis of bhang
as ganja, for the price of ganja is seven times
more than the price of ghundi.
24. Hindus and Mussalmans. All classes of
Hindu fakirs drink bhang, and 75 per cent. of
other Hindus drink bhang ; the rest have no
objection to drinking. Among Mussalmans 60
per cent. of all classes except Kazis drink bhang.
It is drunk mostly in tikanas, madhis, otaras and
dairas, and occasionally in houses. Excessive
drinkers of bhang eat it off in cases where they
cannot get the drink.
25. The use of all three is on the increase.
The reasons for it are :-
(1) The farmers of bhang in Sind sell these
drugs at very high rates. As, for instance, in
Karachi bhang is sold at Rs 2-8-0, in the Hydera-
bad taluka at Re. 1-10-8, and in the Hyderabad
district at Re. 1-4-0, and in the Thar and Parkar
district at one rupee per seer, while its original
price is from anna one to annas two per seer. On
account of these high rates, cultivators cultivate
hemp plant secretly, which they use themselves
and give to others, and consequently such persons
who can get it drink it in excess. If the selling
price were cheaper, the cultivators would never
think of planting it secretly.
(2) People learn to drink bhang in bad company.
This reason is equally applicable to ganja and
charas.
26. (a) For habitual moderate consumers vide
answers to questions 20 and 24.
(b One-fourth of the number, vide answers to
questions 20 and 24.
(c) 25 per cent, of those whom I have excluded
in the answer to questions 20 and 24.
(d) Rarely any.
27. As regards classes, see answers to questions
20, 23 and 24. Hindu and Mussalman fakirs use
them themselves, and have inherited the habit
from their elders and transmit it to their chelas
(disciples). Among the laymen, bad company or
the want of proper care by parents leads their
children into these habits.
28. (a) Bhang, one tola, cost 4 pice ; charas,
½ t o l a , c o s t 3 a n n a s ; g a n j a ½ t o l a , c o s t o n e H a n n a .
(b) Bhang, one chatang (5 tolas), cost one anna
and eight pies ; charas, 1 ½ tolas, cost 9 annas ;
ganja 2 tolas, cost 4 annas.
29. No massalas or ingredients are mixed with
ganja and charas. Ordinarily no massalas are
mixed with bhang too, but in the hot weather
some consumers mix cooling ingredients with it,
and in the cold weather certain stimulating in-
gredients are added to it. Dhatura is not ordi-
narily mixed with it. The object of the mixture
is that in cold season it is used as a tonic and in
summer as a cooling beverage. I know the pre-
paration called the bhang massala. The following
are the ingredients :—poppy, aniseed, coriander,
pepper, sugar, melon seeds, succory and cucumber
seeds are used for cooling in the hot weather, and
almonds, milk, cardamoms and sugarcandy are
mixed as stimulants in ordinary cases, and in ex-
ceptional cases nutmegs, mace, saffron and ghee are
used.
30. On an average less quantity of bhang is
used in company than in solitude. Charas and
ganja are used in less quantity in solitude than in
company.
The use of the three drugs is mainly confined to
the male sex. Men of all ages drink bhang ;
charas and ganja are smoked by middle-aged men.
Boys also use bhang, but very rarely ganja and
charas.