34

of the ganja farmer, so that his profits may be
readily ascertained.

     In writing up the accounts I have closely fol-
lowed the figures available for the Poona district.

Hemp Drugs Farmer's Account for 1891-92.

20. Evidence of KHAN BAHADUR P. H. DASTUR, Parsi, Presidency Magistrate,
Bombay.

     1. I must confess that I have had very few
opportunities of obtaining information with regard
to hemp drugs, as in the districts I have hitherto
served, ganja and other products of the hemp
plant are not much consumed, and I shall there-
fore confine my answers to questions 51 to 55
in relation to matters which have come to my
knowledge in my magisterial capacity.

     51. No, not within my experience, nor am I
aware of any connection existing between the
moderate use of these drugs and crime in general
or of any special character.

     52. But the excessive use of ganja and charas
may lead to crime, for those addicted to these
drugs remain constantly under a stupor and are
unable to follow any honest calling and must
necessarily resort to crime.

     53. I am informed that excessive indulgence
in charas makes a man violent in his temper and
leads him to commit offences attended with
violence. The Pathans in Bombay are well known
as a turbulent class, and they are mostly habitual
consumers of charas. I had lately a case before
me in which a Marwari goldsmith under the
influence of charas attacked a bailiff with a pair of
tongs and behaved very excitedly in court. I am
not aware of any case in which the habit has led
to temporary homicidal frenzy.

     54. No; but if a criminal addicted to these
drugs intends to commit a crime, he feels himself
powerless to act in the matter until he fortifies
himself with the usual dose, The consumption of
ganja generally makes a man timid; and he does
not therefore commit premeditated acts of violence,
but it is different with charas, which would
certainly be used by a habitual consumer who
intends to commit any act of violence.

     55. Yes. I have had cases in Ahmedabad in
which a gang was engaged in a conspiracy to rob
unsuspecting travellers and other innocent persons.
They invariably prepared a chillum containing
ganja with dhatura seeds intermixed, and induced
their victims to smoke the pipe and thus render
themselves unconscious. Immediately afterwards
the victim was robbed and the gang decamped
with his goods. So far as I can form a judg-
ment in the matter, I think complete stupefac-
tion could not be induced by this drug without
any admixture.

21. Evidence of RAO BAHADUR LALLUBHAI GORDHANDAS, Vania, Huzur Deputy
Collector, Nasik.

     1. My employment as personal assistant to the
Commissioner of Abkari from 1880 to 1887 has
enabled me to become acquainted with the de-
tails of administration, taxation, and control.
My information and my conclusions, so far as I
have formed them, concerning the use and effects
of the drugs, are derived from general observa-
tion. I do not profess to have had any special
opportunities of obtaining information regarding
the use and effects of the hemp drugs.

     2. I may observe, at the outset, that the hemp
drugs have not claimed much attention from the
Government of Bombay, or from the people in
the Bombay presidency, for the simple reason that
their use is neither extensive, nor spreading, and
that, such as it is, it has not been regarded as
detrimental to health or morality. That these
poor drugs should come to engage the serious and
solemn consideration of a high Commission was
not thought of by the staunchest advocates of
temperance in this presidency.

     One kind of ganja is used in this district, viz.,
flat ganja. The flower tops are used for smoking
and are called ganja. The dry twigs and seeds
which become detached and form a broken mass
are sold as bhang. Charas is not known in these
parts.

     13. No restriction is imposed by Government on
the cultivation of the hemp plant.