227
undertaken, as it is restricted by Government,
and is attended with inordinate agricultural labour.
14. In our province ganja, charas and bhang
are prepared in places enumerated in answer No. 7
to meet the requirements of the consumers in the
Central and Southern Divisions.
15. The wild plant is nowhere grown in our
province, therefore no description of the products
therefrom can be given. I describe the methods
of the preparation of the three products of the
cultivated hemp plant.
When the plants are full-grown and wide-spread,
the tassels shoot out at the top; resinous or
sticky substance is found over the stems and
the tassels when the ganja is said to have
been ripe and the harvesting season approached.
Then the tassels are cut or nipped off. The
resinous matter which comes in contact with the
fingers while cutting or nipping off the tassels is
rubbed against an edged thing, and when the
matter is sufficiently thick it is collected and
formed into small pills. These pills are called
charas.
The length of the tassels (or ears) varies in
length from two to eight inches. The tassels so
removed from the plants are spread over a matting
in three layers, one over the other, and covered by
another matting, and they are trodden. The
tassels stick to one another. The upper matting
is then taken away, and the tassels are exposed to
open air till they are dried and then deposited in a
place. This is called ganja.
Pieces of ganja tassels or powder found lying
underneath the tassels trodden under foot and also
at the time of packing up are called bhang.
In North Hindustan, towards Benares, the
bhang-producing plants are said to be of quite a
different kind from the hemp plants known here.
The pieces or powder of the leaves of the plants
are used in smoking, eating, and drinking. The
particulars as regards the preparation of the ganja,
charas and bhang for the purposes of smoking,
eating and drinking are given in detail in answer
No. 29.
16. Bhang is not prepared generally by the
people in their houses. It cannot be prepared
from the wild hemp plant, because it does not
yield ganja, but only seeds. Ganja or charas
cannot be prepared from the wild plant wherever
grown.
17. The cultivators of the hemp plant prepare
the drugs. There is no particular class which is
specially set to work at it.
18. Ganja, charas and bhang deteriorate by
keeping. They quite lose their effect in course
of time. With ordinary care they retain their
natural properties for one year; thereafter they
gradually lose them. After two years they quite
lose their qualities. By exposure to wind and
sun the drugs are spoiled, and by moisture and
dampness they give out a bad smell. To prevent
deterioration the drugs must be kept in a warm
and unwindy place, and should not be exposed
to open air. The use of the deteriorated
g a n j a – i s s a i d b y i t s c o n s u m e r s t o b e b u r n i n g i n t h e
stomach.
19. Ganja is used for smoking, eating and
drinking, while charas is used exclusively for
sm
o k i n g
T h e
f o r m e r ,
b e i n g
o b t a i n a b l ei
n
places, is used for such purposes ; but the latter
only in places where it is produced.
20. Ganja is used for smoking by all classes of
people, except Europeans and Parsis, to the pro-
vol. vii.
portion of about 1 to 400 Lengayet and Brahmins,
1 to 100 other Hindus and Musalmans. It is
generally so used in all localities.
Charas is produced to a limited extent ; there-
fore the class of people which consumes it and its
proportion cannot be satisfactorily ascertained.
21. Round ganja is most preferable for smoking,
next to it is flat ganja, and lastly chur ganja.
The supply of flat ganja is sufficiently procurable
in all localities, therefore it is generally used.
22. Charas is produced in the Central Division,
and used only in that division. It is not imported
in the Southern Division, as it is not customary
among the consumers here (Southern Division) to
use it. Foreign charas is not imported into our
province.
22. Bhang is used for smoking in all localities
by all classes of consumers, except Europeans and
Parsis, when ganja is not available. The use of
bhang being exceptional, the extent cannot be
ascertained.
24. Consumers of all classes of Hindus and
Musalmans and in all localities eat and drink
bhang. The proportion of eaters is 1 to 1,000
and of drinkers 1 to 500.
25. The use of ganja, charas and bhang is
increasing. The reasons for the increase are as
follows : —
(a) The number of population is increasing
gradually, as ascertained from the tables
of the general census of 1891.
(b) The opening of railway communication,
which brings all classes of people from
abroad, among whom are consumers
of ganja, etc., and takes away people
to places where they are compelled or
induced to have recourse to it either
by the effects or by the influence of
company.
(c) The number of consumers having thus
increased, the number of friends in
their company is also proportionately
increased ; so the use among the friends
has naturally become general. Of late
the consumers, having regard to the
increased number, have not been now
proportionately held in so much dis-
respect as before. This has been a
strong incentive for the people of loose
characters.
26. The proportion of the consumers is as
follows:—
1 per cent. (a) habitual moderate con--
sumers.
½ per cent. (b) habitual excessive con-
sumers.
3 / 8 p e r c e n t .
( c )
occasional moderate con-
sumers.
1 / 8 p e r c e n t .
( d )
occasional moderate con-
sumers.
2
27. The following classes of people, except
Europeans and Parsis are
—
(a) Vedantis
(philosophers),
musicians
(gavyis), etc.
(b) People of bad characters, bava, bairagi,
gosavi, fakir.
(c) The sick, who find relief from the suffer-