Cannabis Use in India

Cannabis has been used in Ayurvedic and Indian medicine for at least three thousand years to treat a variety of health conditions, including nausea and wasting syndromes. It is also prescribed for general health and longevity. To this day body builders in India use cannabis as a part of their training regiment to gain muscle mass, promote digestion, and build strength.


The spiritual aspects of cannabis are considered so profound in South Asia that many religious groups including Buddhists, Naths, Shaivites and Goddess Worshippers  have incorporated it into meditation practices, as a means to stop the mind and enter into a state of profound stillness, also called Samadhi. Cannabis holds a prominent place among Tantrics in India, Nepal, Sikkim, and Tibet to this day. In the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, it is said that Buddha subsisted for six years on nothing but hemp seeds. Various spiritual texts, including the Buddhist Tara Tantra, list cannabis as an important aide to meditation and spiritual practice. In the Tantric Buddhism of the Himalayas and Northern India, cannabis still plays a significant role in meditative rituals to facilitate deep meditation and heighten awareness. Cannabis is even mentioned in the Indian creation myth, where it is named as one of the five nectars of the gods and designated a “Reliever of Suffering.” In the original myth, the gods churn the Ocean of Milk in search of Amrita, the elixir of eternal life. One of the resulting nectars was cannabis. In the Vedas cannabis is referred to as a “source of happiness.”

Cannabis is most closely associated with the worship of Shiva, one of the three principal deities of India. Cannabis is considered Shiva’s favorite herb due to its spiritual properties. It is commonly consumed by Shaivite yogis, ascetics, and worshippers of Shiva, as an aid to their sadhana (spiritual practice). Wandering ascetics, known as sadhus, are often seen smoking cannabis out of a clay chillum as a part of their spiritual practice.

One of the most commonly consumed preparations of cannabis in India is called Bhang. Bhang is offered to Shiva images and statues throughout India, especially on the festival of Shivratri. Cannabis is such an important part of the religious culture of Benaras, the main city of Shiva worship, that it is sold in government-run shops and used by pilgrims and common folks alike, being part of the religious culture. Ayurvedic and Indian doctors still prescribe cannabis to treat a range of conditions. Slowly the west is finally beginning to recognize the true values of this remarkable plant.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Is CBD?: A Brief History Of CBD, An Introduction To This Healing Plant Compound

Image
What Is CBD?:  A Brief History Of CBD, An Introduction To This Healing Plant Compound “There were never so many able, active minds at work on the problems of disease as now, and all their discoveries are tending toward the simple truth that you can’t improve on nature.” -Thomas Edison The more we learn about CBD, the more evident it becomes that this plant compound has the power to revolutionize health and healthcare as we know it. Here is a little background information and an introduction to CBD! CBD NON-PSYCHOACTIVE Cannabidiol (CBD) is a plant compound that has a vast amount of health benefits, without any psychoactive effects. CBD oil  can be extracted from any variety of the cannabis plant. Our CBD comes from the hemp plant. The hemp plant is a specific strain of the species  Cannabis Sativa . THC is another plant compound that is found in different strains of the species Cannabis Sativa. THC is the compound that makes you feel high. The hemp p
Read more

CANNABINOIDS VS OPIOIDS, WHICH IS MORE EFFECTIVE AT TREATING PAIN?

Image
CANNABINOIDS VS OPIOIDS, WHICH IS MORE EFFECTIVE AT TREATING PAIN? Opioid medication is frequently prescribed as a means of treating pain conditions. However, this family of medications is often associated with addiction, withdrawal, and overdose. It seems that cannabis may serve as a much safer and effective alternative. Opioids are a class of drugs that span from legal pharmaceuticals prescribed to combat chronic pain to illegal substances like heroin. Opioids work by binding to opioid receptors in parts of the body such as the brain and spinal cord. When opioids act on these receptor sites, they work to reduce the signalling of pain messages from the body to the brain. In doing so, sensations of pain are reduced and relieved. For this reason, opioids are commonly prescribed in cases of chronic and constant pain. Several types of opioids include codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, and morphine. Potential side effects of taking opioid medicati
Read more

Study Shows Cannabis Reduces Headache and Migraine Pain by Nearly 50%

Image
Study Shows Cannabis Reduces Headache and Migraine Pain by Nearly 50% TOPICS: Cannabis Pain Management Was   NOVEMBER 25, 2019 Inhaled cannabis reduces self-reported headache severity by 47.3% and migraine severity by 49.6%, according to a recent study led by Carrie Cuttler, a Washington State University assistant professor of psychology. The study,  published online  on November 9, 2019, in the  Journal of Pain , is the first to use big data from headache and migraine patients using cannabis in real time. Previous studies have asked patients to recall the effect of cannabis use in the past. There has been one clinical trial indicating that cannabis was better than ibuprofen in alleviating headache, but it used nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid drug. “We were motivated to do this study because a substantial number of people say they use cannabis for headache and migraine, but surprisingly few studies had addressed the topic,” said Cuttler, the lead author on the p
Read more