BERAR MEMORANDUM.
107
The manner in which the plant is
cultivated for the production of drugs
and the method of preparing the manu-
factured drug from the raw product
whether the wild or the domesticated
plant.
As already stated, hemp is cultivated in only three dis-
tricts—Akola, Buldana, and Amraoti. The Deputy Commis-
sioner of Akola describes the manner of cultivation in the
following words:—
"For the ganja plant garden land is required; ordinary black soil is apparently too stiff,
and an admixture of organic matter is necessary. The soil is twice deeply ploughed and is
given as much manure as the cultivator can afford (one tehsildar says 10 cart loads per acre),
is then harrowed two or three times before sowing. This is done at the beginning of the
rains, at the same time as cotton is sown, and the seed is planted by means of a tiphan or
plough drill. It seems to be the practice to mix ambadi (Hibiscus canabinus) seeds with the
ganja seeds. The young hibiscus plants are pulled up a fortnight after they have come up,
and the reason of the practice appears therefore to be to save seed and preserve a sufficient
space between the ganja plants. When they are about a foot and a half high, the plants
which are unisexual are examined and the male ones (called bhangia) are picked up. If the
rains fall favourably, no irrigation is required till about October, when the plants are matur-
ing, when apparently they always require to be watered. In November the plant, which is
then 5 feet high, is cut. The small outer branches are stripped off and put in towards the
centre of the plant, which is then pressed with the foot (to flatten the heads), made up into
sheaves, and stacked in a shed under pressure, the heaps being opened and the sheaves moved
now and then to prevent their getting too hot. The leaves fall off when the plants are tied
into bundles. They are collected and called bhang. The bare stalks remain with the heads
on them.
"The wild plant is not indigenous in Berar. Plants come up near the huts where
gosains and other regular consumers live, and if watered and tended, can be used for the
preparation of ganja, but are weaker and not so good as the cultivated kind; if not tended,
the heads are said to be only fit for smoking like tobacco."
The manner of cultivation described by the Deputy Commissioners of Amraoti and Bul-
dana is similar to the above.
Charas is not known in Berar. The resinous substance of the hemp plant is allowed to
dry with it.
The only drugs manufactured in Berar from the hemp plant are "bhang" and "ganja."
Extent to which wild plant can be
used for the preparation of drugs, whe-
ther in the milder or the more noxious
forms.
Full particulars should be obtained
regarding all the different forms of the
drug which are commonly used, espe-
cially ganja, charas, and bhang, and
regarding the classes of the people by
whom and the extent to which each is
used.
The rules restricting the ganja cultivation (referred to in a separate memorandum sub-
mitted) make it obligatory on the village officials in Berar
to destroy any plants of spontaneous growth. Hence wild
plants are an impossibility in Berar, and so they are not used
for the preparation of drugs.
The only forms of the drug that are used by the people
are ganja and bhang. Charas is not used. Other prepara-
tions that are known are these:—
Ganja chillum.
"Majum," "gulkand," and "yakuti."
Ganja (the flowers of the plant or the flattened heads of
it) is smoked in the following manner:—
The smoker takes a head of the plant, places it on his left palm, puts over it a little
water, and mixes it by the pressure of the right thumb. This process of wetting and press-
ing is repeated, says the Deputy Commissioner of Akola, 121 times over. Then it is pressed
and put into a piece of cloth, and the moisture squeezed out. A small quantity of
tobacco is added to enhance its effects, the mixture is then put into a chillum (pipe)
and smoked.
Bhang or Thandai (a cooling drink).
Bhang is drunk as a cooling drink in the hot weather. The method of preparing the
drink is as below. Bhang—or the flowers and leaves that
drop when the plants are being tied up into sheaves—is first
of all well cleaned and then boiled. Afterwards it is very carefully washed and then dried.
A small quantity of this preparation is then mixed with spices such as "sonph," "miri,"
"badam," "khaskhas," and "rose-buds." The mixture is then well pounded, putting a little
water over it. It is then mixed with cold water or milk, and sugar put in it, and after being
filtered it is drunk. This is known as bhang or thandai, or a cooling drink.
Majum.
The method of preparing this drug is described below. A sheave of ganja is first cleaned
properly, and after being boiled is carefully washed very
clean. It is then mixed with ghee and is again boiled. This