73
quantities as a cooling drink, is not viewed as a
vice.
There appears to be no custom here of worship
-
ping the hemp plant.
34. Yes. Because the habit once contracted of
using ganja and bhang, if removed, would be in
-
jurious to their health in many ways.
3 5 . ( a )
a n d
( b )
N o .
(
d
) Y e s .
(e) and ( f ) No
3 6 . N o .
The following answers relate to ganja smoking
only.
37. Charas smoking is not known in this dis
-
trict.
38 and 39. Not known here.
40. Yes—Vide answer to question 19. Ganja
is administered to cattle suffering from purging,
indigestion, etc.
4 1 . ( a ) , (
b ) a n d
( c )
Y e s .
Generally all the classes of the people use ganja.
But the majority of the consumers will be found
among the lower uneducated and working classes.
Both the moderate habitual use and moderate
occasional use are referred to here.
42. It is also harmless, as it does not excite a
man to be violent or commit any mischief or
crime.
4 3 . Y e s .
44. The moderate use is said to produce very
little intoxication and to create appetite. Its effect
lasts for about one hour. There are no after
-
effects except that the smoker generally needs
substantial food. The want of subsequent grati
-
fication does produce longing and uneasiness, but
it causes no injurious effects.
4 5 . ( a )
t o
( e )
N o .
(f) Such cases are not known to the under
- s i g n e d .
46. No information could be obtained with re
-
gard to this question.
4 7 . N o .
48, 49 and 50. Not known.
51. Not known. None.
52 and 53. Not known.
54. Not known. No crime appears to have
been committed here within the past four years
attributable to ganja-smoking.
55. Not known.
56. By admixture of tobacco with ganja the
smoking becomes more tasteful. (a), (b) Not known.
No information is forthcoming about the admix
-
ture of dhatura. As a rule ganja is never smoked
without the admixture of tobacco.
57. As said before, ganja is eaten with other
native medicines—vide answer to question No.
19.
58. The present system works well, except that,
each shop should be farmed out separately.
59. Vide answer to question No. 63.
60 and 61. Ganja is not produced in this
district.
62. No.
63. The only change required is that instead of
monopolizing the retail sale, as is done at present
with regard to this district, each shop should be
farmed out separately, so that the people might
get the drug used for smoking at cheaper rates
and of a better quality. At present there being
one farmer for the whole district, it is in his
hands generally to regulate the prices and the
quality of the drug, while in the case of the
different farmers for the several shops (there are
fourteen in this district), there will be a competi
-
tion among them as regards good quality and low
rates.
64. None.
65. The taxation with regard to the drug used
here appears reasonable.
66. No, as regards this district, where no dis
-
tinction is observed between the different kinds
of ganja.
6 7 . N o .
68. There are no such houses or shops in his
district.
69. There appears to be no rule or order about
this. But much depends upon the wishes of the
farmer of the drug. It is, however, necessary
that the people concerned should be consulted
a s
to the advisability of a shop being opened in their
locality.
70. None. This district does not adjoin any
Native State except that of. Jangira, where the
hemp plant is not cultivated and does not grow
spontaneously.
35. Evidence of MR. J. F. FERNANDEZ, R etired Deputy Collector and City
Magistrate, Ahmedabad.
1. The opportunities attendant on one's employ
-
ment in the Revenue Department of the Admin
-
istration. I held au executive appointment in the
Ahmedabad Collectorate for seventeen years, and
my answers relate almost exclusively to that
district.
2. I accept the definitions given here. The
names the three products are known by in the
Ahmedabad district are bhang or subji, ganja
and charas. But I may add that charas is not
used or consumed there. I hear of round ganja
now for the first time. I have never seen it.
3. I have no particular knowledge on this head.
It is certainly not grown in the Ahmedabad
district, nor is it cultivated there. Hence I am
unable to answer the other questions in this
chapter.
14. Charas is not used or consumed in the
Ahmedabad district. Ganja and bhang, as the
first products of the hemp plant, come prepared
into the district. They are imported by the
farmer of those drugs under permits granted by
the local revenue authorities chiefly from Ahmed
-
nagar district in the Deccan by rail. Before
the construction of railway to Ahmednagar, ganja
used to be brought chiefly from Mal wa vid Dohud
and Godra, and bhang from the territories of the
Guickwar and the Nawab of Cambay.
15. I can give no information regarding the
methods of preparation from the cultivated or