Brit. 3. Psychiat. (i@7@), 127, 550—2
Cannabis and its Users in Nepal By B. P. SHARMA
Summary. Cannabis is easily available in Nepal, large numbers of persons using it regularly. I have studied its effects on 226 persons who had been using it for a long time and in considerable amount. As a control group I used an equal number of men of matching age and education. Compared with the controls, the cannabis users had a poor work record, poor social and family relationships, a lack of interest in sex and a general loss of
initiative and efficiency. However, there was no difference in crime rate between the groups.
on a person's
INTRODUCTION
relations, religion.
Nepal is one of the countries where until recently there was no legal restriction on hoarding, buying, selling or consuming can nabis. Until a few years ago people here did not believe it to have any bad effect on society or its members. Now, owing to large numbers of non-conformist young persons from the West (‘hippies') and their fondness for this herb and its indiscriminate
In addition,
to
I excluded those who used the herb
Of 227
persons
studied,
nine
were
university
graduates, 23 were undergraduates, 43 were of high school grade, 79 were barely literate, and the remaining 73 were illiterate.
Such things were
here before.
The herb Cannabis sativa is popularly
personal
attitude
times a day, or who took it more often but had done so for less than two years. Few females are cannabis users, so the study was confined to males.
use, the circle of its users has
treatment.
and
only occasionally, who took it lessthan three
casesare known of personsin toxicstatesand in unknown
efficiency,
harmony
Selection of cases: I did not include the class of people who are called sad/ass (religious ascetics).
become wider and has come to have a noticeable effect on Nepalese society. As a result, a few cases have been documented and some more need of medical
initiative,
marital
termed
Selection of controls: I selectedthese on the
ganga or bhang. A special product, more potent and expensive, is called chares. The usual method of using thisis by smoking in a
following basis: males known not to be users of the herb but matched with the 226 users for number, educational standard, and (with reasonable closeness) age distribution (Table I).
funnel-shaped clay pipe, but it is also used in cakes or sweets and drinks. Although there has as yet been no legal restriction on its cultivation, there has been an element of social disapproval
TABLE
I
Age distribution of 226 cannabis users in Nepal
towards its use. Users are thought of as persons Age (years) Numbers Age (years) Numbers of rather low calibre. The local name for cannabis users is ganjadi which literally means ‘¿a Under 2154!—172!—1446—1526—i65!—1231—6256—2@6—776iandov person
who can't
be relied
on'.
METHOD
The study was undertaken to determine effects of regular and long-term cannabis
the use
Median age, 37 years 550
BY B. P. SHARMA
The controls were all selected from one parti cular
area. RESULTS
Occupation and achievement: The nine graduate users of cannabis were all working, but their work was not satisfactory. All were irregular or unpunctual in attendance, were reluctant to shoulder official responsibilities and were domi nated
not only
by their
superiors
but also by
their subordinates. In the control group, all nine graduates were active, regular and punctual at work and possessed enthusiasm and initiative. They were acting as leaders in their work. Among
the 23 undergraduate users,i8 were
employed as part-time workers in insignificant jobs and the remaining five did not try to get any job, making the lame excuse that they had no need ofajob (whereas circumstances showed
551
sweet dishes, cakes and sweet drinks. Their physical activity was also limited. The conversation of cannabis users was monotonous, full of unnecessary detaiLs, and marked with circumstantiality and phantasy. It was
vague,
elastic,
never-ending,
and
tended
to be restricted to a few simple topics—delicious food,
kind
angels
who
provided
every
sort
of
thing without any effort, their own health, and how their families neglected them. As an example a middle-aged man told his friends that ‘¿when the heavenly body asked this helpless man to open his eyes he saw a big pond of honey in front. To his right there was a big mound of freshly prepared hot cakes—―pedas― —¿madeof milk and milk products. There were a number of poo1s of milk pudding. In one corner
he saw a running
spring
of sweetened
milk. Heaps of butter and rivulets of melted butter. . . were also there.' Another man said: otherwise). In the control group, those classed ‘¿You know, some country has found out a as undergraduates had had to leave their studies tree which bears the fruit of well-cooked com in order to earn a living, so all of them were plete dinners. Mark you, a full course of employed. Nine were trying hard to complete luxurious dinner.' their studies and get a degree. Many of the cannabis users were morbidly In the high school grade there was not a single user who was usefully occupied, whereas jealous and almost fanatical about religious among the controlsallwere occupied except six faith, and relied absolutely on fortune and who had chronic
mystic
illnesses.
power.
They
showed
no ambition
and
Among the 79 barely literate users, 51 were employed part-time but their work was not
their emotional responses were immature. The timidity and docility of such persons are
satisfactory, and the remaining 28 were not employed at all. Among the controls, on the
proverbial.
other were As liked
hand, all had reasonably good jobs and supporting their families. for the 73 illiterate users, none of them to work. Some were forced to do so by their
relatives
or did so for limited
periods
of time to
meet the shortage of manpower during the peak agricultural season. In the control group all were occupied in useful jobs. Behaviour:
When
judged
in the light
of their
controls, all cannabis users were untidy, un kempt, slovenly and slow. They did not want to mix with anybody other than members of their own group of cannabis smokers. Their interest was limited
to themselves,
to the herb,
to their
‘¿akhada'(places where cannabis users meet together) and to food of a rich and sweet nature. It may be noted that their foods of choice were
Crime:
I found
no difference
in this respect
between
the users and the controls.
activities
commonly
Criminal
stem from aggressive
trends,
sexual urges, self-assertion and ambition, but such traits are almost unknown among cannabis users.
It
is their
nature
to run
for
safety
and
shelter when they come across an agitated crowd. However, their passive, docile and obedient nature may lead to their being used as accomplices by criminal gangs. Marital state and sex: In this series 43 users were
single and I 7 widowed. I interrogated i66
who
wives.
were
None
married
of them,
and
living
it seemed,
31 out of with
had
their
normal
interest in the sexual side of marriage. Their sexual indulgence was sporadic and they thought of such indulgence as very harmful to health.
CANNABIS
552
Of the controls views.
only three
expressed
AND ITS USERS IN NEPAL
similar
Family relationships: The cannabis users did not have close relations with their families. Within the home, they spent their time sleeping or sitting
and
daydreaming.
It is surprising
to
see how a person can spend time idly, not only for days but for years together. Even death or disasterin the family did not move
them. A
bitter quarrel with them had no effect; after a few hours they would behave as if nothing had happened. Other observations:
I observed
who had used the herb regularly finally
gave it up after great
seven
persons
for years but
persuasion.
When
they were using cannabis,
they behaved
exactly
as I have described above. After they had given it up, their behaviour returned to normal within
four months.
The explosive influences of ‘¿hippies'in this country during the last few years have caused some changes in the behaviour of long-standing cannabis users. Formerly, intoxication had not required medical attention but during the last year there have been five cases of ‘¿hashish poisoning'
recorded
in the hospital,
and many
persons are known to have had treatment out side. The selling and buying of cannabis is now legally restricted in Nepal, so such a study as I have described here may be impossible in the future.
B. P. Sharma, M.B., B.5., M.R.C.PIYCII., D.P.M., Head of the Department of Psychiatry, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu,
@Yepal (Received 19 September 1973)
Cannabis and its Users in Nepal
B. P. SHARMA BJP 1975, 127:550-552. Access the most recent version at DOI: 10.1192/bjp.127.6.550
References Reprints/ permissions You can respond to this article at Downloaded from
This article cites 0 articles, 0 of which you can access for free at: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/127/6/550#BIBL To obtain reprints or permission to reproduce material from this paper, please write to [email protected] /letters/submit/bjprcpsych;127/6/550 http://bjp.rcpsych.org/ on March 3, 2016 Published by The Royal College of Psychiatrists
To subscribe to The British Journal of Psychiatry go to: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/site/subscriptions/
Cannabis and its Users in Nepal By B. P. SHARMA
Summary. Cannabis is easily available in Nepal, large numbers of persons using it regularly. I have studied its effects on 226 persons who had been using it for a long time and in considerable amount. As a control group I used an equal number of men of matching age and education. Compared with the controls, the cannabis users had a poor work record, poor social and family relationships, a lack of interest in sex and a general loss of
initiative and efficiency. However, there was no difference in crime rate between the groups.
on a person's
INTRODUCTION
relations, religion.
Nepal is one of the countries where until recently there was no legal restriction on hoarding, buying, selling or consuming can nabis. Until a few years ago people here did not believe it to have any bad effect on society or its members. Now, owing to large numbers of non-conformist young persons from the West (‘hippies') and their fondness for this herb and its indiscriminate
In addition,
to
I excluded those who used the herb
Of 227
persons
studied,
nine
were
university
graduates, 23 were undergraduates, 43 were of high school grade, 79 were barely literate, and the remaining 73 were illiterate.
Such things were
here before.
The herb Cannabis sativa is popularly
personal
attitude
times a day, or who took it more often but had done so for less than two years. Few females are cannabis users, so the study was confined to males.
use, the circle of its users has
treatment.
and
only occasionally, who took it lessthan three
casesare known of personsin toxicstatesand in unknown
efficiency,
harmony
Selection of cases: I did not include the class of people who are called sad/ass (religious ascetics).
become wider and has come to have a noticeable effect on Nepalese society. As a result, a few cases have been documented and some more need of medical
initiative,
marital
termed
Selection of controls: I selectedthese on the
ganga or bhang. A special product, more potent and expensive, is called chares. The usual method of using thisis by smoking in a
following basis: males known not to be users of the herb but matched with the 226 users for number, educational standard, and (with reasonable closeness) age distribution (Table I).
funnel-shaped clay pipe, but it is also used in cakes or sweets and drinks. Although there has as yet been no legal restriction on its cultivation, there has been an element of social disapproval
TABLE
I
Age distribution of 226 cannabis users in Nepal
towards its use. Users are thought of as persons Age (years) Numbers Age (years) Numbers of rather low calibre. The local name for cannabis users is ganjadi which literally means ‘¿a Under 2154!—172!—1446—1526—i65!—1231—6256—2@6—776iandov person
who can't
be relied
on'.
METHOD
The study was undertaken to determine effects of regular and long-term cannabis
the use
Median age, 37 years 550
BY B. P. SHARMA
The controls were all selected from one parti cular
area. RESULTS
Occupation and achievement: The nine graduate users of cannabis were all working, but their work was not satisfactory. All were irregular or unpunctual in attendance, were reluctant to shoulder official responsibilities and were domi nated
not only
by their
superiors
but also by
their subordinates. In the control group, all nine graduates were active, regular and punctual at work and possessed enthusiasm and initiative. They were acting as leaders in their work. Among
the 23 undergraduate users,i8 were
employed as part-time workers in insignificant jobs and the remaining five did not try to get any job, making the lame excuse that they had no need ofajob (whereas circumstances showed
551
sweet dishes, cakes and sweet drinks. Their physical activity was also limited. The conversation of cannabis users was monotonous, full of unnecessary detaiLs, and marked with circumstantiality and phantasy. It was
vague,
elastic,
never-ending,
and
tended
to be restricted to a few simple topics—delicious food,
kind
angels
who
provided
every
sort
of
thing without any effort, their own health, and how their families neglected them. As an example a middle-aged man told his friends that ‘¿when the heavenly body asked this helpless man to open his eyes he saw a big pond of honey in front. To his right there was a big mound of freshly prepared hot cakes—―pedas― —¿madeof milk and milk products. There were a number of poo1s of milk pudding. In one corner
he saw a running
spring
of sweetened
milk. Heaps of butter and rivulets of melted butter. . . were also there.' Another man said: otherwise). In the control group, those classed ‘¿You know, some country has found out a as undergraduates had had to leave their studies tree which bears the fruit of well-cooked com in order to earn a living, so all of them were plete dinners. Mark you, a full course of employed. Nine were trying hard to complete luxurious dinner.' their studies and get a degree. Many of the cannabis users were morbidly In the high school grade there was not a single user who was usefully occupied, whereas jealous and almost fanatical about religious among the controlsallwere occupied except six faith, and relied absolutely on fortune and who had chronic
mystic
illnesses.
power.
They
showed
no ambition
and
Among the 79 barely literate users, 51 were employed part-time but their work was not
their emotional responses were immature. The timidity and docility of such persons are
satisfactory, and the remaining 28 were not employed at all. Among the controls, on the
proverbial.
other were As liked
hand, all had reasonably good jobs and supporting their families. for the 73 illiterate users, none of them to work. Some were forced to do so by their
relatives
or did so for limited
periods
of time to
meet the shortage of manpower during the peak agricultural season. In the control group all were occupied in useful jobs. Behaviour:
When
judged
in the light
of their
controls, all cannabis users were untidy, un kempt, slovenly and slow. They did not want to mix with anybody other than members of their own group of cannabis smokers. Their interest was limited
to themselves,
to the herb,
to their
‘¿akhada'(places where cannabis users meet together) and to food of a rich and sweet nature. It may be noted that their foods of choice were
Crime:
I found
no difference
in this respect
between
the users and the controls.
activities
commonly
Criminal
stem from aggressive
trends,
sexual urges, self-assertion and ambition, but such traits are almost unknown among cannabis users.
It
is their
nature
to run
for
safety
and
shelter when they come across an agitated crowd. However, their passive, docile and obedient nature may lead to their being used as accomplices by criminal gangs. Marital state and sex: In this series 43 users were
single and I 7 widowed. I interrogated i66
who
wives.
were
None
married
of them,
and
living
it seemed,
31 out of with
had
their
normal
interest in the sexual side of marriage. Their sexual indulgence was sporadic and they thought of such indulgence as very harmful to health.
CANNABIS
552
Of the controls views.
only three
expressed
AND ITS USERS IN NEPAL
similar
Family relationships: The cannabis users did not have close relations with their families. Within the home, they spent their time sleeping or sitting
and
daydreaming.
It is surprising
to
see how a person can spend time idly, not only for days but for years together. Even death or disasterin the family did not move
them. A
bitter quarrel with them had no effect; after a few hours they would behave as if nothing had happened. Other observations:
I observed
who had used the herb regularly finally
gave it up after great
seven
persons
for years but
persuasion.
When
they were using cannabis,
they behaved
exactly
as I have described above. After they had given it up, their behaviour returned to normal within
four months.
The explosive influences of ‘¿hippies'in this country during the last few years have caused some changes in the behaviour of long-standing cannabis users. Formerly, intoxication had not required medical attention but during the last year there have been five cases of ‘¿hashish poisoning'
recorded
in the hospital,
and many
persons are known to have had treatment out side. The selling and buying of cannabis is now legally restricted in Nepal, so such a study as I have described here may be impossible in the future.
B. P. Sharma, M.B., B.5., M.R.C.PIYCII., D.P.M., Head of the Department of Psychiatry, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu,
@Yepal (Received 19 September 1973)
Cannabis and its Users in Nepal
B. P. SHARMA BJP 1975, 127:550-552. Access the most recent version at DOI: 10.1192/bjp.127.6.550
References Reprints/ permissions You can respond to this article at Downloaded from
This article cites 0 articles, 0 of which you can access for free at: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/127/6/550#BIBL To obtain reprints or permission to reproduce material from this paper, please write to [email protected] /letters/submit/bjprcpsych;127/6/550 http://bjp.rcpsych.org/ on March 3, 2016 Published by The Royal College of Psychiatrists
To subscribe to The British Journal of Psychiatry go to: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/site/subscriptions/
