mixed ordinarily with black pepper, anise seeds, and
a little sugar in preparing a common beverage, the
object being to correct the nauseating tendency of
t he dur g ; and occas i onal l yw i t h d r y r o s e p e t a l s ,
cardamom seeds, almond paste and milk ; the object
being to make it more pleasant and agreeable.
The spices generally mixed with the bhang in the
confectionery called majum, yakuti, etc., are carda-
moms, nutmegs, cloves, saffron, etc. I know of no
such preparation as " a bang massala " being sold
for the purpose of being mixed with any of these
drugs.
30. To a greater extent in company than in
-
so itude. Yes, mainly confined to the male sex
and adult life. It is not usual for children to con-
sume any of these drugs. But bhang is occasionally
given to children in Northern India.
31.Yes, the habit is easily formed but difficult
to break off. Yes, there is such a tendency.
32. It is customary in some parts of India to
drink bhang on the holiday called Shivaratra, as
the drug is thought to be favourite with the god
Shiva or Mahadeva. This use of the drug, how-
ever, is not looked upon as essential, the custom
being not deeply rooted nor having any religious
aspect in it. In Bengal, on the last day of the
Durga Puja, it is customary to drink bhang. The
use of this drug on either of these occasions is
not generally excessive, nor is it likely to lead to
the formation of the habit, nor otherwise in-
jurious.
33. Smoking of ganja or charas is generally
regarded by higher and middle classes as disreput-
able, this sentiment being attributable to the dele-
terious effects of the drug on mind and body.
In public opinion the practice is regarded as a vice
except in ascetics, mendicants, fakirs, bairagis,
and gosavis, who are supposed to have recourse
to it in order to aid them in their religious austeri-
ties. Drinking bhang has become so general
even among the higher and middle classes in the
Punjab and North-Western Provinces, and to some
extent in Bengal and Central Provinces, that no
such feelings of disrepute are entertained against
that habit.
175
But Mr. Hem Chandra, Kerr believes the state-
ment to be incorrect.
24. In Northern India bhang is eaten in the
form of a powder or confection by people addicted
to sensual pleasures and taken as a beverage by all
classes of people especially by the Sikhs in the
Punjab and by a very large proportion of the
population in the North-Western Provinces. Its
use is said to be on a decrease in Bengal. It is
also used both in eating and thinking in Central
Provinces to a considerable extent. In Southern
India it is very rarely used, the " chur " being
generally substituted for it. The proportion how-
ever of bhang-drinkers (whether they use chur or
bhang) to the entire population in Southern
India is extremely insignificant, and the number,
small as it is, is almost confined to a few large
cities in this presidency only. Here, as well as in
Northern India, bhang drinking is not looked upon
so disreputable as ganja or charas smoking and so
it finds favour with higher classes.
25. It would appear from Government reports
that the area of hemp cultivation for the produc-
tion of ganja is everywhere on a decrease during
the last decade as compared with the previous
years. In Bengal the successive increases of duty
since 1864 have resulted in reducing the consump-
tion of ganja by 27 per cent., notwithstanding the
increase of population since that year. The same
may be said to be the case here. Besides Gov-
ernment restriction by increased duty, another
reason why ganja smoking shows a tendency to
decrease is to be found in the fact that liquor is
taking its place. Alcohol seems to attract people
with intoxicating tendencies more than ganja. A.
reference to the reports of the Abkari Department
conclusively proves this by showing that there is
every year an enormous increase in the revenue
realised from toddy and country liquors.
27.
Ganja and charas smokers are found
generally among the lower classes, and bhang
drinkers among all classes. The habits of life or
circumstances which mainly lead to the practice
may be summed up in the following few words:—
love of intoxication, fashion of imitation, want of
education, a wearied brain and body in the artisans
and. working classes, want of food and clothing
and a desire for austerities among the nomadic
bairagis, gosavis and fakirs, the enervating and
depressing effect of the parching sun in Northern
India, and a desire for aphrodisiacs among people
addicted to sensual pleasures: all these, either
separately or combined, lead people to resort to
these narcotics.
28. The allowance and cost of ganja per diem
are—
(a) Half a tola and half an anna.
(b) Four tolas and four annas.
For charas
—
(a) half a drachm
.
(b ) Two drachms.
For bhang
—
(a) Half a tola and ¼of an anna.
( b) Five tolas and ¾ of an anna.
29. Charas is smoked, mixed with prepared
tobacco (a mixture of tobacco and molasses). Ganja
is smoked with tobacco. The object in both cases
seems to be to dilute the charas or ganja with a non-
narcotic stuff. Dhatura is said sometimes (excep-
tionally) to be mixed with majum ; so also mix
vomica, with the object of increasing the narcotic
and aphrodisiac property of the hemp. Bhang is
34. Yes, it would be a serious privation to
the habitual consumers among fakirs, gosavis
and the labouring classes to forego the consump-
tion of the drug they use. Because they will
thereby lose their means of destroying the sensa-
tion of fatigue and protecting them from the effects
of exposure and heat.
35. It may be feasible to prohibit to a great
extent the use of ganja and charas by stopping
the cultivation or importation, but it would not
be feasible to prohibit the use of bhang, which is
not generally obtained from the cultivated but
from the wild plaint. The drug, especially bhang
and ganja, may be consumed illicitly, as it is
possible for anybody to grow a plant in some
corner of his compound free from detection. It
would be rather difficult to enforce the prohibi-
tion. The prohibition will certainly occasion
discontent among the consumers, but it would not
be so serious as to amount to a political danger.
The prohibition is sure to be followed by recourse
to alcoholic stimulants or perhaps in a few cases
to opium. Just now, even without any such
prohibition, there are, as I have incidentally remark-
ed above, signs of people showing a preference
to alcoholic stimulants. To prohibit the use of
these drugs would therefore be aiding this tenden-
cy. If we throw a glance at the history of the
introduction of opium into India and China, the