Happy 420! Today we celebrate the medicinal herb Cannabis, known by many names.
Cannabis has been used across centuries in its many forms to promote feelings of euphoria, as an analgesic (pain-killer), topical anesthetic, antibiotic, anti-asthmatic, anti-epileptic, anti-spasmodic, antidepressant, tranquilizer, antitussive (cough reliever), appetite stimulant, oxytocic (eases the process of childbirth), preventative and treatment for neuralgia, and to ease withdrawal from opiates and alcohol (Lust, 1974).
The popularity of this herb in the West can be traced back to the mid-nineteenth century. Indian people subject to indentured servitude in the Caribbean by the British brought with them on their journey what they called GANJA and cultivated it for generations. The popular “Kush” strains are named after the Hindu Kush mountains systems of Central Asia. In the early 1900s, Mexican migrants fleeing civil war came to the United States, some with cannabis. The wave of Mexican migration popularized the practice of recreational marijuana smoking into mainstream United States culture.
Cannabis also has metaphysical properties. Its mildly psychoactive effects can alter one’s perception of linear time, making it a useful tool for tapping into flow states, intuition, meditation, and timeline jumping. Cannabis like all plants has consciousness and is itself a spirit; so moderation, caring for oneself, and respect for the herb is key to sacred use.
Cannabis can weaken the aura and dim the ability to discern between between one’s own energy and other people’s. This is one of the reasons some people experience anxiety and feel “unsafe” when they use this herb, and this is relevant especially because many cannabis enthusiasts enjoy using the herb together and in groups. Therefore, energy maintenance practices such as smudging and ritual cleansing go hand in hand with cannabis use.
It is important to note all of these benefits and non-benefits can be accessed through other, non-psychoactive plants as well. Nature’s pharmacy is the largest! It’s all a matter of choice, responsibility, respect, and preference. All in all, we thank the Creator and Gaia for all the many herbs & bountiful abundance the Earth offers us.
What’s your favorite herb? Leave a note in the comments!
Feature photo credit: Justice Hubane via Pexels.com