225

37. The former are more acute than the latter.

38.  No marked difference except that the flat
ganja is a little more powerful.

39.  The smoking directly affects brain, while
drinking affects the whole system in a milder form;
for the former acts through the smoke that does
not pass to the lower parts of the body but has a
tendency to go upwards, while the quantity
drunk or eaten goes down to the stomach and
after dilution there acts through the system. On
the other hand, the effect of the smoke is less
durable than the effect of the article itself assimi-
lated into the system.

40.  Ganja is used as a medicine for itches and
in treating cattle diseases. Bhang leaves for
treating eye diseases. The Nepalese use bhang
extensively for the treatment of their cattle.

41.  (a) Yes.

(b) Yes.

(c)  Not known.

(d)  Not known.

Occasional use is referred to.

42.  The moderate use of bhang is not injurious
though not altogether harmless. The other forms
are certainly injurious. Even in bhang the habi-
tual moderate drinker may be singled out from a
company on account of a certain vacancy in his
demeanour.

43.  Yes.

44.  The immediate effect of smoking ganja is
stupefaction for a few moments, and then a
pleasurable sensation in the system owing to in-
toxication. The effect lasts for an hour or so.
Those who are habitual and hard smokers, feel an
excessive longing for it after the lapse of a few
hours.

The use of bhang is more refreshing at first
and lasting in its effects. With occasional
drinkers the intoxication continues for two to
three days. There is a tendency to excessive
laughter which oftentimes betrays the drug one
has used. After a few hours the thirst for water
is simply parching and the pain excessive.

Both ganja and bhang excite hunger. Both
have after-effects to occasional consumers and per-
manent effect on the constitution of habitual con-
sumers. A ganja-smoker can be singled out by
the appearance of his eyes easily from a crowd.
This shows the affection of the brain.

45.  (a) Yes. It makes one dull and somewhat
crazy.

(b) Yes, to some extent.

(c)  It excites hunger at first and afterwards

causes loss of appetite.

(d)   I have heard of such cases but have not
known any.

(e) Yes, laziness. It excites passion during
intoxication.

(f) Insanity is induced in some cases which
becomes permanent unless the habit is checked
at the beginning. The symptoms may be re-
induced. I do not know of any specific case.

46.  Same as in question 45.

47.  No.

48.  I have known of no such case.

49 and 50. Yes. It is generally used by the
male sex for sustaining their manly powers.

Sometimes used by prostitutes. Use of the drugs
for this purpose is more injurious than as an ordi-
nary narcotic, as under its influence the consti-
tution is made to undergo greater exertions than
nature would warrant.

51 and 52, Ganja and other preparations of the
hemp plant have less connection with crime than
alcohol. They are not in the way of exciting
people to crime.

53.  I have not known of any such case.

54.  I do not think they are, except for purposes
of debauchery.

55.  If any one is willing to effect this he would
most easily do it by opium, and I do not therefore
think ganja is administered to any victims of
criminals.

56.  Bhang is mixed with sugar to increase its
power of intoxication and with sugar and milk to
give taste to it. Dhatura is used by hard drinkers
only for personal consumption. It is administered
to others only in cases of bad motives.

57.  I have not known any such case.

58.  The excise administration in respect of the
hemp drug has been working well.

60.  I don't think any change necessary.

61.  I do not know much about charas.

62.  I do not think that any attempt at control-
ling the cultivation of the plant for the production
of bhang, any more than at present, would be
feasible.

63.  I think the limit of retail sale might with
advantage be reduced to one chhattack instead of
one poa as at present. The high limit of a poa is
quite unnecessary. A man consumes four-anna
worth of ganja in a day at most and one poa is
worth R5 at annas 4 a tola.

64.  No, they are working satisfactorily.

65.  These articles seem to me to be sold very
cheap, in consideration of their power of intoxica-
ting, as compared with alcohol. The duty might
with advantage be raised even higher than at
present. Relatively amongst themselves the tax-
ation is reasonable.

66.  Yes. If the same rate were applicable to
all kinds, every kind of ganja would be required to
be reduced to the same form, viz., to chur. The
twigs make the difference in weight, and so long as
the twigs exist the different rates must exist too.

67.   Vide question 65. I think the tax should
be increased.

68.  Yes. I do not think they should be
allowed. The consumption on premises should be
prohibited on the same principle that the consump-
tion of opium is prohibited.

69.  Shops are generally opened in a locality
by a request from the people of the locality for
meeting their wants. I think there is no harm
in the local public opinion being taken by official
notice of an ordinary kind.

70.  No. There is very little of importation of
the drugs from Native States into Bengal, except
smuggling from Nepal to some extent,

The drug in general use, without tax, is bhang,
which is generally prepared by people at home and
consumed without payment of duty. The quan-
tity of bhang sold in licensed shops forms but a
small fraction of the total quantity consumed.
Shops for the sale of bhang might, with advantage
to the revenue, be multiplied very largely,

                                                            2 I