Medicine - Drugs > Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895 > Volume I
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184 REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. [CH. X.
the drug is probably
weaker from deterioration. So that opinion in these prov-
inces is probably entitled to more weight than elsewhere. On the
whole, then,
there is apparently a more unfavourable opinion of charas than of
the other forms
of hemp drugs.
Ganja.
475. In regard to ganja,
opinion is about seven to five in favour of the moder-
ate use being harmless. In every province, except
the North-Western Provinces and Sind, the majority
take this view. In Sind the drug is known to but few witnesses, and
a large pro-
portion of these few fail to discriminate between the moderate and
excessive use.
In the North-Western Provinces the drug is well known, and the
witnesses are
divided as three to two against the drug—almost, indeed, in the
same ratio as in
regard to charas. Here, however, a careful examination of the
papers shows that
at least one-fifth of these witnesses against ganja have not
discriminated between
the moderate and excessive use. In other provinces the majority
believe the
moderate use of ganja to be harmless. In Bengal, where the drug is
best known
and most carefully cultivated, this majority is about two to
one.
Bhang.
476. Bhang is regarded
with more general favour than other preparations of
hemp. The witnesses who
declare it harmless are
nearly as three to one as compared with those who
think otherwise. This
majority is found in pretty nearly this ratio in all
provinces.
This may, therefore, be
accepted as the prevailing opinion.
Silent witnesses.
477. There is a large
number of witnesses who either do not know enough,
or do not feel strongly
enough, regarding the effects
to say anything about them. There is also a large
proportion of the other witnesses who declare the moderate use of
the drugs to be
harmless. Finally, there is manifestly a tendency in many of the
witnesses against
the drug to base their unfavourable opinion on their experience of
excessive con-
sumption. In view of all this, there can be little doubt that there
is a
very large amount of moderate consumption of all these drugs, the
evil
effects of which are inappreciable, even if this moderate
consumption is
not quite harmless. There is a good deal of justification of the
failure of many
witnesses to discriminate between moderate and excessive
consumption.
That which is moderate and harmless to one man may be too much
for
another. And the moderate habit may undoubtedly develop into excess
in some
cases where excess might not have been looked for. It is so with
all intoxicants;
but moderation and excess ought to be distinguished. And on the
whole the
weight of evidence is to the effect that moderation in the use of
hemp drugs is not
injurious.
Formation of the habit.
478. The great majority
of the witnesses are of opinion that the habit of con-
suming these drugs is easily formed. As a rule these
witnesses speak from experience of consumption
among the upper and middle classes. There is no doubt that there
are some
difficulties in the way of a lad learning the habit apart from the
deterrent
opinion (where it exists) of parents or of society. It is necessary
to know
how to prepare the drug, though most of the methods of preparation
when
learned are simple enough. This fact, together with the force of
example,
explains the very general statement that the habit is acquired in
the com-
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India Papers > Medicine - Drugs > Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895 > Volume I > (215) Page 184 |
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Description | Chapter X, cont. |
Description | [Volume 1]: Report. |
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