CH. VI.] REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. 89
tively with regard to any of it that the plants from which the ganja was gather-
ed was altogether innocent of cultivation or tending.
Evidence as to existence of wild
ganja.
228. The quality of this evidence may be judged from the following refer-
ences. It leaves no doubt that many people are able
to distinguish the plants of different sexes in the
spontaneous growth, calling them by the names of ganja and bhang, and
recognize the more narcotic character of the female or ganja plant, sometimes
preserving it for the purpose of smoking. The Assistant to the Director of
Land Records and Agriculture, when enquiring regarding the spontaneous growth
in Bhagalpur and Purnea, observed that a few selected plants, mostly females,
were not uncommonly left in the ground. He reports: "These acquire a nice
bushy appearance not unlike that of the ganja-bearing plant. All this made me
suspect that the people knew a great deal more about the bhang plant than they
were willing to avow. I was told by several persons, among them a European
gentleman who has long resided in North Bhagalpur, that bhang is often used to
adulterate ganja." Abhilas Chandra Mukharji says: "Fata bhang (Sivajata
bhang).—The flower of this kind of bhang is whitish; it grows luxuriantly, and the
plants are of a larger size than the ordinary wild ganja plants. The flowers
resemble ganja flowers. The flowers and leaves agglutinate naturally, and look
like Sivajata
(cluster of hair of the god Siva, from which it derives its
name). Its intoxicating properties are less than the Rajshahi ganja.
The
flowers are collected and smoked just like ganja. It grows along with other
hemp plants rather scantily. It grows near Toke and in some parts of the
Manikganj Sub-division of the Dacca district." He states again (9-23) that
bhang is rarely smoked, and that only by the lower and poorer classes; that
the part of the plant used for smoking is the sir-kali (leading flower spike),
which is dried and preserved. Sosi Bhushan Roy says after remarks which show
that he has a very fair idea of what he is talking about: "It may also be
supposed that hemp in its degenerated and wild condition becomes what we call
bhang or siddhi.
I have myself seen that such bhang plants as have a
luxuriant growth bring forth leaves, which sometimes get matted together, and, if
collected before inflorescence, might to some extent serve the purpose of ganja."
Witness (82) states (answer 23) that the Nepalese prepare a crude sort of
ganja which they call bhang, and this they always smoke, and (22) gives evid-
ence to the same effect. Mr. Maguire (23), Officiating Collector of Khulna,
writes: "A sort of ganja is prepared from the wild plant wherever grown, but,
except when prepared from female hemp, it is very weak." The Collector of
Bankura (10) reports the possibility of preparing ganja of very inferior quality
from the wild plant. Babu Suresh Chunder Bal (69) says: "I think ganja
can be prepared from that particular variety of the wild plant which is known to
the people as the ganja plant." Bhuban Mohun Sanyal of Purnea (225) states:
"I hear that ganja cannot be prepared from the hemp plant generally growing
wild in the district. I have, however, heard that it can be prepared from a plant
sometimes seen (though very rarely) growing wild and known as ganja plant."
These are all good witnesses, though the evidence of some of them is based
on inquiry and not personal observation. It is unlikely that they are talking of
anything but the hemp plant, for it is very well known in India generally, and
specially in Bengal and Northern India. The descriptions given by witnesses 63
and 196 pourtray the female hemp plant very clearly. It appears then that a very
23