Explore the ancient roots of Cannabis Spirituality® and its role in sacred practices from India to Africa and the Americas. Before prohibition, there was reverence
The Ancient Truth: Cannabis Spirituality® Across Cultures and Time
Long before prohibition, before stigma, before fear—there was reverence. The ancients knew her power. From Shiva’s sadhus to the healers of Africa and the Americas, cannabis was always holy.
This message, now immortalized in the image above, speaks a truth our ancestors lived: Cannabis was never criminal. It was spiritual. In every corner of the world where humans communed with nature, the cannabis plant had a sacred place.
Cannabis and Lord Shiva: Sacred Union in India
Perhaps the most widely recognized spiritual connection to cannabis is found in Hinduism, through the deity Lord Shiva. As the god of transformation and consciousness, Shiva is revered by sadhus (holy men) who often consume bhang—a cannabis-infused drink—as part of their devotional practice. During Maha Shivaratri, millions across India consume cannabis to honour him.
In the Atharva Veda (a Hindu text dated to approximately 1500 BCE), cannabis is named one of the five sacred plants, called “bhang”, and praised for its ability to bring joy, liberation, and healing. It was believed to be a gift from the gods—a plant that quiets the mind and opens the soul.
> “Weed of wisdom, bring us delight and joy.” — Atharva Veda (Book 11, Hymn 6)
African and Indigenous American Traditions
Cannabis was also revered throughout the African continent, particularly among spiritual leaders and healers. In Central and South Africa, oral traditions and ethnobotanical records describe cannabis being used in rituals for divination, healing, and ancestor communion. Among the Zulu, cannabis was used ceremonially before battle or spiritual visions.
In the Americas, Indigenous groups used cannabis (and later, hemp) in both medicinal and ceremonial ways. While archaeological records are still being uncovered, the connection between plant medicine and spiritual practice is undeniable among Indigenous peoples of North and South America. Many believe cannabis was used alongside other entheogens to access guidance, vision, and spiritual protection.
The Rise and Fall of Sacred Use
Before the 20th century, cannabis was integrated into medicine, mysticism, and ritual worldwide. Its demonization came not from science or spirit, but from colonialism, racism, and political control. Campaigns against cannabis—especially in the 1900s—were deeply tied to controlling cultural groups and severing them from their ancestral practices.
The “war on drugs” wasn’t just a war on substances. It was a war on the sacred.
Cannabis Spirituality®: A Global Awakening
Today, we are remembering. As we reclaim the sacredness of cannabis, we return to what was never truly lost—Cannabis Spirituality®. This registered practice is rooted in the truth that cannabis is:
A tool for higher consciousness
A plant that brings balance through the endocannabinoid system (ECS)
A spiritual vessel for connection to God, Source, and our truest selves
Cannabis Spirituality® is not a trend. It is a return.
We are living in a time of great remembering. Through art, ritual, ceremony, and education, we are reawakening the plant’s divine role in human evolution.
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References:
Atharva Veda, Book 11, Hymn 6 – Translation of Vedic scriptures referencing cannabis as sacred
Clarke, R. C. & Merlin, M. D. (2013). Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany. University of California Press.
Abel, E. L. (1980). Marihuana: The First Twelve Thousand Years. Springer.
Bennett, C. (2010). Cannabis and Spirituality. Inner Traditions.
Schultes, R. E., & Hofmann, A. (1992). Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers.
#CannabisSpirituality® #ShivaAndCannabis #SacredPlantMedicine #SpiritualCannabis #CannabisHistory #Bhang #CannabisRituals #SacredFeminine #ReverendKelly #KGLNetwork #EndocannabinoidSystemClick here to add text.
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