Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
OF HERBS
VIJAYA | CANNABIS | BHANG
GANJA
INDEX
1 Overview
4 Varieties
22 Industrial applications
39 References
1
THE OVERVIEW
The holy plant also known as our beloved God- Shiva’s prasad has been an
inhabitant of our planet before humans existed. Cannabis is a plant which
grows out of Mother Earth (Can’t believe this is something we have to stress
on. It is a “plant” not a “drug”)
In 2017 over 14 countries legalized this plant on the basis of its medicinal
properties. India, however is a land which has been known to use the plant
from the beginning of its civilization (VEDAS - Ayurveda) and also offer it
to their gods. Sadly, the plant was prohibited because of a proven psycho-
path in world history- NIXON, A US President infamous for many of his
actions which affected the entire world. The prohibition of something that
existed even before we were placed on this planet itself is a joke on various
levels.
Now let’s talk about our beautiful homeland where Ganja is used by lacs of
sadhu’s, sages and holy men. This technically makes them all CRIMINALS.
Yes, you heard me right! The people most Indians highly respect and are
scared to rub them the wrong way as they are said to be ‘catalysts of higher
energies’ as per the law are labeled criminals because this holy plant falls
under schedule 1 drug even till TODAY. To make it clear- Schedule 1 drug
basically stands for substances which have no medicinal values and only
damages your system.
Yes. Have a good laugh and then continue reading this book.
2
Before the prohibition which started in the US, Cannabis was used as one
of the primary medicines for curing everything from fever, labour pains to
surgery.
Coming back to 2017, we have enough data, researches and patients from
around the world who were & are suffering from various diseases like can-
cer, seizures, epilepsy, tuberculosis, leprosy to name a few and have not just
benefited but have also been cured in thousands and lakhs of cases.
Being diagnosed with one of the above a few years back, I got a firsthand
experience of what these pharmaceuticals are exactly doing to us.
1.month of failed Allopathy, immense pain and unable to move my neck
due to the particles being in my lymph nodes (swelling increasing a bit ev-
ery week INSPITE OF MY MEDICATIONS) I gave up thinking if they
couldn’t treat me/ heal me I was definitely going to die.
I am just a single drop of water in the ocean of the treated & healed patients
of this magical plant but let me tell you this plant can do a lot more than
just saving lives as medicine. Cannabis is also the best alternate for plastic,
gasoline, cement, cotton and is a super nutritious food (in a country where
kids are dying every hour due to malnutrition), fibre (to make cloth and
cover the bodies of us mortals), cement (hemp cement is more strong and
leaves no carbon footprints), WAIT FOR THE BEST ONE - Bio fuel !
With every passing day the prices of fuel are going higher and it’s emission
into our atmosphere is making the entire planet not just sick but also lead-
ing us towards global warming which would finally mean the end of us all.
It’s not yet late to turn to our scriptures for answers which have mentioned
the powers of this “herb”.
Regards, Priya M
4
THE VARIETIES
THERE ARE 2 VARIETIES OF THE PLANT
Industrial Hemp
Medical Cannabis
INDUSTRIAL HEMP
There are many different varieties of the cannabis plant. Hemp — also
called industrial hemp refers to the non-psychoactive (less than 1% THC)
varieties of Cannabis sativa. Both hemp and Cannabis come from the same
cannabis species but are genetically distinct and are further distinguished by
use, chemical makeup, and cultivation methods.
Hemp can be grown as a renewable source for raw materials that can be
incorporated into thousands of products including food, clothes, cement,
bio-fuel, etc. Its seeds and flowers are used in health foods, organic body care
products and other Nutraceuticals.
MEDICAL CANNABIS
The Cannabis plant has a history of medicinal use dating back thousands
of years across many cultures
ANCIENT
MEDICINAL CANNABIS IN
WORLD RELIGIONS
During the Indian and Nepalese festival of Holi, people consume Bhang
which contains cannabis flowers. According to one description, when the
amrita (elixir of life) was produced from the churning of the ocean by the
devas and the asuras, Shiva created cannabis from his own body to purify
the elixir (whence, for cannabis, the epithet angaja or “body-born”). Another
account suggests that the cannabis plant sprang up when a drop of the elixir
dropped on the ground. Thus, cannabis is used by sages due to association
with elixir and Shiva. Wise drinking of bhang, according to religious rites is
believed to cleanse sins, unite one with Shiva and avoid the miseries of hell
in the future life. It is also believed to have medicinal benefits. In contrast,
foolish drinking of bhang without rites is considered a sin. Although canna-
bis is regarded as an illegal drug, many Nepalese people consume it during
festivals (like Shivaratri) which the government tolerates to some extent and
also for their personal uses and recreational purposes. Further in Nepal its
seeds are also used in making pickles “bhang ko achar”. The dried seeds are
ground and then mixed with aalo (potato).
ISLAM
The Quran does not directly forbid cannabis; however, cannabis is deemed
to be khamr (an intoxicant) by many religious scholars and therefore gen-
erally believed to be haraam (forbidden). A hadith by the prophet Moham-
med states: “If much intoxicates, then even a little is haraam.” Despite these
prohibitions, cannabis is consumed in many parts of the Islamic world, even
some- times in a religious context particularly within the Sufi mystic move-
ment.
8
JUDAISM
SIKHISM
Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihang, who are known
for their victories where they were heavily outnumbered.
Some Nihang groups consume cannabis or bhang to help in meditation.
Sukhnidhaan or Sukha parsad, “peace-giver”,is the term Nihang use to refer
to it.
9
At Tathkhand Shri Hazoor Sahib, (one of the five seats of power in the
Sikh Panth) the ‘Sukhnidhaan’ is offered as a holy food.
There is description of ‘Sukhnidhaan’ on many pages of the book ‘Sooraj
Prakaash’. Generally, ‘Bhang’ (from Cannabis plant) is called ‘Sukhnidhaan,
but seeing condemnation of ‘Bhaang’ in the Gurbaani and in the Panthic
‘Sikh Rehat Maryada’, those in favour for the consumption of Bhaang have
named it ‘Sukhnidhaan’, instead of ‘Bhaang’.
In his book ‘Sri Hazoori Maryada Prabodh’, Singh Sahib Bhai Joginder Singh
Ji, then the “chief priest” of Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazoor Sahib, has ex-
pressed his views about ‘Bhaang’ under the heading of ‘Sukhnidhaan De
Bhog Baare’ (page 257 to 264).
He wrote that all the ‘Maryada’, which is being followed at Takht Sahib, is
‘Puraatan’ (old) tradition.
Supporting the arguments of Sukhnidhaan in the book, the high priest
wrote about the following details:
According to the ‘Janamsakhi Bhai Bala’, the Mughul King ‘Babur’ offered
‘Bhang’ to Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Delighted on this, it is claimed that Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji granted him the
boon to have the kingdom for seven generations. Guru Ji recited a ‘Shabad’
(divine hymn) on this occasion, in which it is argued he did not condemn
‘Bhaang’. On the other hand, when Yogi Jhangar Naath offered a cup of
wine to Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Guru Ji recited a ‘Shabad’, in which drinking
wine and alcohol was condemned.
TAOISM
Beginning around the 4th century, Taoist texts mentioned using cannabis
in censers. Needham cited the (ca. 570 AD) Taoist encyclopedia Wushang
Biyao (“Supreme Secret Essentials”) that cannabis was added into ritual in-
cense burners and suggested the ancient Taoists experimented systematically
with “hallucinogenic smokes”. The Yuanshi shangzhen zhongxian ji (“Re-
cords of the Assemblies of the Perfected Immortals”), which is attributed to
Ge Hong (283-343), says:
For those who begin practicing the Tao it is not necessary to go into
10
the mountains. Some with purifying incense and sprinkling and sweeping
are also able to call down the Perfected Immortals. The followers of the Lady
Wei and of Hsu are of this kind.
Lady Wei Huacun (252-334) and Xu Mi (303-376) founded the
Taoist Shangqing School. The Shangqing scriptures were supposedly dic-
tated to Yang Xi (330-386 AD) in nightly revelations from immortals, and
Needham proposed Yang was “aided almost certainly by cannabis”. The
Mingyi bielu (“Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians”), written by
the Taoist pharmacologist Tao Hongjing (456-536), who also wrote the first
commentaries to the Shangqing canon, says, “Hemp-seeds are very little
used in medicine, but the magician-technicians (shujia ) say that if one con-
sumes them with ginseng it will give one preternatural knowledge of events
in the future.” A 6th-century AD Taoist medical work, the Wuzangjing
(“Five Viscera Classic”) says, “If you wish to command demonic apparitions
to present themselves you should constantly eat the inflorescences of the
hemp plant.” Joseph Needham connected myths about Magu, “the Hemp
Damsel”, with early Daoist religious usages of cannabis, pointing out that
Magu was goddess of Shandong’s sacred Mount Tai, where cannabis “was
supposed to be gathered on the seventh day of the seventh month, a day of
séance banquets in the Taoist communities.
BUDDHISM
On Entering the Medical Cannabis System Gedde was trained in the idea
that molecular biology will provide us with all the answers we need. By un-
derstanding the details of how cells work, we’ll be
able to design a cure for every disease. However, once she found herself actu-
ally working inside the pharmaceutical industry, seeing how decisions were
made, she came to realize the flaws of the system.
The fact of the matter is, drug companies have the legal mandate to turn a
handsome profit. This in and of itself can create situations where profits are
placed ahead of actual medical benefits. Moreover, when a company selects a
product to develop, that product is not necessarily what is most needed. It’s
the thing that will make the most money.
“I realized there are non-pharmaceutical, non-patentable, more holistic and
12
supportive options, such as ... nutritional support, hormone balancing and
neurotransmitter support. Instead of taking Prozac, how about some 5-Hydroxy-
tryptophan (5-HTP)? Those are things that naturopathic and alternative phy-
sicians are so familiar with and work with. That was not at all part of conven-
tional medical practice.
Certainly not the way I was trained. It was an epiphany. It was kind of a turn-
ing point in my career. It was a big thing to leave the pharmaceutical industry
and open my first alternative practice,” Gedde says
She opened her medical practice in 2004, but it wasn’t until 2009 that she
began realizing the usefulness of cannabis. Initially, she learned from pa-
tients who were using it. They would tell her about how it helped heal their
various ailments. Eventually she began researching it on her own, discov-
ering the human endocannabinoid system in the process — a biological
system not touched upon in medical school.
“When I started hearing the results patients were getting, I realized that the
reason why [Cannabis] could do so many different things in the body without
being toxic is because it is acting through this natural endocannabinoid system
in our bodies. That’s when I said ‘Wow. This is huge. There’s nothing like this in
medicine. There’s nothing that I can prescribe that comes close to what this can
do for people.”
In 2010, she made the decision to focus on medical cannabis full-time — a
decision she ascribes to careful deliberation of what actually helps patients
the most.
Too high a dose of THC will trigger anxiety. It can also cause nausea, con-
fusion and/or disorientation. In severe cases, you might not know where or
who you are. Temporary psychosis can also occur on high doses of THC.
However, these effects are temporary and will resolve once the drug wears
off. Such side effects are actually helpful in that they cause cannabis use to
become self-limiting. People don’t want to feel terrible, so excessive doses
are automatically discouraged by creating adverse reactions. Opiates, on the
other hand, has no such feedback mechanism. People who take too high a
dose simply die in a very relaxed state.
“With opiates, there’s no point at which a person says, ‘This is terrible. I don’t
want to do this.’ There always needs to be more. With cannabis, it does
have that self-limiting effect,” Gedde says.
“We work closely with patients on the dosing. Less works; you want to start with
lower. Because it is an oily medication and it does interact with the body
in a different way, the cannabis can build up in the fatty tissues over time. We
get this build-up effect that’s very beneficial ...
We explain this to patients to say, ‘You could start at a certain dose. As you take
that same dose day after day, it’s going to build up for three to four
weeks, so you could wait and see where the build-up effect gets you before you
go to the next level.’ That’s, again, so that they’re not using more than they need,
not having extra side effects ... The biggest thing we warn about is too-high doses
of THC that would cause impairment and a very uncomfortable or unhappy
experience.”
15
DIFFERENT CANNABIS
STRAINS HAVE
DIFFERENT EFFECTS
INDICA
Indica grows short and bushy. This variety of plant has a highly relaxing
and sleepy effect
SATIVA
Sativa grows lean and tall. This Strain of cannabis has an energetic effect.
In addition to cannabinoids, there’s a whole other set of compounds in can-
nabis called terpenes — the same compounds found in essential oils. Ter-
penes are what give each Cannabis strain its unique color and smell. Some
strains smell like lemon. Other strains are purple and smell like lavender. In
fact, the same terpene found in lavender, linalool, which gives lavender its
calming, relaxing potential, is also found in many Cannabis strains.
There’s a whole range of Cannabis strains known for their calming, sleep-in-
ducing, relaxing properties, collectively known as “indicas.” Indicas strains
will not induce anxiety. They’re relaxing and stress-reducing. The sativas are
more stimulating and energizing, and resemble caffeine in this regard.
While helpful for anxiety and depression, sativas could produce paranoia
and put you on edge, especially those with post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). When addressing the psychological spectrum, strain selection is
very important.
“Post-traumatic stress is so difficult to treat. PTSD patients, the veterans,
are a huge population we see. We’re in Colorado Springs. There are military bases
here. We see a lot of the veterans who had been overseas. Not only do they have all
17
the physical injuries, but they have those psychological injuries. [They can benefit
greatly] from choosing the correct strains and be able to actually get the benefit of
that well-known property of THC where it causes forgetting.
THC is known to slow the mind down. You can’t quite think about the things
maybe that you were going to. For a lot of people, in a lot of settings, that would
be an unwelcomed side effect. But when you have post-traumatic stress and you
have intrusive thoughts, to have the mind slow down and those thoughts just
don’t break through and the nightmares don’t break through, that’s a huge boon.
In post-traumatic stress, we see a lot of good results.”
Gedde stresses the point that CBD and THC work very well in combi-
nation, and while medical cannabis has been primarily THC-based, the
availability of CBD has been a real boon as CBD helps temper the psycho
activity of the THC.
“With hemp being grown now and CBD returning to patients, you can really
use the THC in doses that are effective without the psychoactivity,” she says.
“We’ve been telling patients this is a huge boon for everyone. Get your CBD.
Combine it with your THC. It’s everywhere. It’s not restricted like the THC.
Having this DEA action come out really puts that back on its heels for people
who are not in a legal state. Here in Colorado, certainly we will continue to have
CBD and THC, and continue working with them.”
In closing, another point to note is that when the plant is unheated, meaning
raw, it actually does not have THC in it. That’s another one of its remarkable
properties. The plant actually makes THC acid (THCA) and CBDA. So
when you eat it raw, you get the THCA not THC, which relieves pain and
spasms. THCA is a synergizing agent, but it doesn’t have the psycho activity
associated with THC.
This means you can consume Cannabis raw and get health benefits without
the psycho activity. A number of doctors have become proponents of using
raw cannabinoid as a dietary supplement. The key is to not heat the plant. If
it were legal to use recreationally where I live I would grow it and regularly
throw it in my smoothies!
18
DIFFERENT PARTS OF
THE PLANT AND ITS
USES
STALK
The Hurd of the stalk can be used to make animal beddings, mulch, fi-
bre-boards, Insulation and HempCrete (Organic Bio-Concrete which is
made without the toxic cement)
The fibres of the stalk provide raw material to produce hemp twine, ropes,
netting, canvas, bio-composites, shoes, bags etc.
19
The Stalk has the potential to substitute fuel, paper, textiles, plastic, con-
struction materials and furniture.
LEAVES
The cannabis leaves are rich in some of the medicinal compounds. It is one
of the most important dietary supplementsas it activates certain functions in
the body which can prolong our good health.
Cannabis leaves are grinded into a paste to produce Bhaang . One of the
oldest methods of using this medicinal plant was to consume its raw leaves.
Later, In Ayurveda, they started to churn these leaves, boil it with milk to be
taken orally and also topically to cure many kinds of pains.
This traditional practice in India goes by the famous drink called Bhaang,
which is celebrated nationwide during Holi, Shiv Raathri, Raam Navami
and any other auspicious time in order to bring peace, joy and a sense of
sharp clarity.
20
HEMP SEEDS
Hemp seeds can be used both raw and for the oils they produce.
The nut of the seed can be used in breads, salads, granola/cereals, hemp
milk/dairy products and protein powder. Apart from the Nutritional values,
Hemp seeds can be pressed to produce oils which can substitute fuel, lubri-
cants, inks, varnishes, paints and cosmetics.
FLOWERS
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
WOODEN FURNITURES
Hemp hurd is the soft inner core of the hemp stem. It is highly absorbent
and rich in cellulose which offers thermal and acoustic insulation.
23
HEMP FIBREBOARD
It can be broken down into tiny pieces which can be converted into Fibre-
boards.
All our materialistic luxuries like beds, cupboards, sofas, wooden chairs, ta-
bles and ply-boards on the walls can be sourced from hemp hurds instead.
The quality of these Hemp Fibreboards are stronger and more durable and
by adopting to this, we can ensure that there is not a single tree cut for our
requirement of Wooden furniture.
PAPER
We are cutting down trees and forests across the world to make paper
from the pulp of wood. It takes a tree upto 20 years to mature and just a few
minutes to be cut down.
24
Deforestation to meet the global supply of wood is a growing concern!
What is the alternative solution to cutting down millions of trees every year?
Hemp hurds can be used to make paper.
HEMP PAPER
It doesn’t require any chemical processing and can be recycled upto 7 times,
which is 2 times more than the wooden pulp paper. And most importantly,
it takes just one acre of hemp fields to produce enough paper which is equiv-
alent to 4 acres of forests, in just 3 months as compared to 240 months (20
years) for the trees to mature.
HEMP TEXTILES
FUELS
Pollution: Petrol vs Hemp
Renewable Resource
Biodegradable
Any Plant is known to grow differently with different climate, season, soil
and water. Cannabis follows the same path just like any of its counterpart
plants and does it a bit better. We have earlier explained how cannabis has
different strains and its variants being made by human controlled methods.
India is the only country in the world which offers so many variants of
climate, soil, weather and water. If not more, at least 28 states and 7 union
territories would give about 35-40 unadulterated strains which can then be
its specialty just like now :
• Idduki Gold
• Manali Black
• Mysore Mango etc.
This would make this “plant” a plant again. This doesn’t only give us variety
of medicinal strains but also enough hemp to make over 50k plus products
out of hemp which is known as the strongest fiber ever known to man. One
can use all the parts of the plant as mentioned earlier.
A crop which helps with cloth, bio-fuel, flour, wood, plastic, fiber at places
where the soil produces less or no THC plants.
32
Fun Fact: An acre of hemp would produce 8,000 pounds of hemp seeds. When
cold-pressed, the 8,000 pounds of hemp seed yield over 300 gallons of hemp
seed oil and a byproduct of 6,000 pounds of high protein hemp flour.
Hemp plant is a very fast growing crop, producing high fiber yield per
acre. According to few sources hemp can produce 250% more fiber than
cotton and 600% more fiber than flax with the same amount of land.
The best climates for growing hemp are warm tropical zones or moder-
ately cool and temperate climates. Hemp also leaves the soil in excellent
condition for any succeeding crop. Hemp’s strong roots could penetrate
for three feet or more underground. Thee roots anchor and protect the soil
from runoff and build and preserve topsoil and subsoil structures similar to
those of forests.
Hemp also does not exhaust the soil and further adds rich organic matter
to the topsoil, helping it retain moisture.
The current non-utilized and also barren lands could be utilized to grow
and cultivate the herb and help control global warming and remove the
toxins from the soil exactly like Hiroshima & Nagasaki (Both the places
are growing the plant to remove the radioactive substances from the soil to
start life again).
FUTURE OF MEDICAL
CANNABIS AND
INDUSTRIAL HEMP IN INDIA
INDUSTRIAL
It’s time to help the farmers, the country, patients, nature and the world.
Let’s plant seeds of the plant which gives up 100x more! - Hempvati
A crop which doesn’t need massive loans to provide above said but just the
seeds and enough land, little water and sunshine to give BILLION TIMES
MORE!!
A crop which can change the future of the world! A “billion-dollar crop”
around the world.
• Paper - Hemp paper can be made from hemp plants’ long bast
fiber or the short bast fiber (hurd or pulp). Fiber paper is thin, tough, brittle,
and rough. Pulp paper is not as strong, but is easier to make, softer, thicker,
and preferable for most everyday purposes. The chemical composition of
hemp hurds is similar to that of wood, making hemp a good choice as a
raw material for manufacturing paper. The very first paper in the world was
made from hemp, and as a plant, hemp is more suitable for paper as it has
a higher cellulose and lower lignin content. Hemp paper is also much more
eco-friendly and sustainable than tree paper, as hemp can be produced much
35
quicker than trees. The quality of hemp paper is actually higher than wood,
as hemp pulp is much better for paper than wood pulp. Hemp was widely
used across the world in the 1800s, but declined in the early 1900s as hemp
production and trading started to be prohibited.
• Cloth - Hemp fabric or hemp textiles are made from cannabis sativa
fiber or industrial hemp. The usage of hemp fiber or cannabis sativa fiber
as materials for clothing is not something new. Hemp fiber has been used
thousands of years and in fact materials made from hemp were discovered in
tombs dating back to 8,000 BC. Hemp was used in varieties of applications
in early civilizations in Asia, Middle East and China. For instance hemp was
used in making paper in China, rope, ships rigged, canvas, sailcloth, sacks
and many more in Asia and Middle East.
MEDICINAL
India is home to all the medicinal practices which are both ancient and
advanced like –
• Ayurveda
• Siddha
• Allopath
• Chinese
• Homeopathy
• Unani
As cannabis is mentioned in all the above medical systems and used as a
herb with immense powers to treat and heal patients of over 100 diseases
37
one can only imagine the scientific possibilities it would create In future
and help fight more ailments.
SPIRITUAL
“When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself.” – Bob Marley
RELIGIOUS
Cannabis is mentioned in the Vedas, the oldest and most sacred of all
Hindu texts. It was said in these texts that cannabis was one of five sacred
plants and that a guardian angel resided within its leaves. Ancient Hindus
believed cannabis was a gift from the gods, one that offered happiness and
wellbeing and would help people gain liberation over fear.
Shiva, the Hindu god frequently associated with cannabis, is also known
as “Lord of Bhang.” When he discovered cannabis, he loved its effects and
made it his favorite “food”.
Long before the creation of the universe, the devas or gods, churned a cos-
mic ocean in order to obtain Amrita (elixir of life) for attaining immortali-
ty. It is said that cannabis plants grew from the only drop that touched the
ground at Mt. Meru and was utilized by Lord Shiva Himself to sooth his
throat and neck after drinking the poison before elixir could be removed.
In one legend, Shiva reinvigorated himself in the heat of the sunlight by
consuming leaves of the Cannabis plants. He is also said to have adopted
the plant as a part of his favorite diet & is therefore often called “Lord of
Bhang.”
SAI BABA
Baba was fond of smoking chillum. He was not used to finishing the entire
chillum. Mhalsapati, Tatyaba and Madhavrao Deshpande alias Shyama
used to take 2-4 drags and pass it on turn by turn amongst the other peo-
ple present at that time.
GAJANAN MAHARAJ
Another Indian saint whose love for Cannabis and chillum is widely
known and hence majority of his statues and pictures are only with the
chillum.
DESIGNED BY
ADRIAN F ERNANDES
Instagram - adrian.fernandes7
EDITED BY
AKRITI NITI GUHA
Instagram - blablahguha