Indigenous Use of Marijuana: Medicinal and Spiritual Practices

Published

1 year ago

January 23, 2024

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By: Juan Sebastian Chaves Gil

In indigenous cultures, especially in Latin America, the use of marijuana has played a fundamental role for the community, both in medicinal terms and in the healing of illnesses, both physical and spiritual.

In indigenous communities, especially in the Andean region, which includes Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, most of these groups have long used the marijuana plant as an essential resource that cannot be dispensed with. In Colombia, indigenous communities in Nariño, Cauca, and Putumayo claim to have used marijuana and other plants that have not yet received legal approval to cure both physical ailments and spiritual problems. In the northern regions of Peru, bordering Ecuador, it is common to see products made from marijuana and coca, a very specific mixture worldwide, but very common in this country. Let’s remember that in 2017, the Peruvian Congress approved the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, allowing the commercialization of products in a free manner.

Traditional practices related to the use and treatment of marijuana are an integral part of the ancestral customs of indigenous communities, which are threatened by the lack of legalization. Taita Efrén Tarapués, leader of the Pastos community of the “El Gran Cumbal” reservation, emphasizes that these traditions have always used marijuana for medicinal purposes and not for recreational use.

The indigenous leader emphasizes that the original communities used marijuana in a conscious way for healing, preservation of life and sustainability, in contrast to the way modern society has diverted its use to purposes harmful to human beings.

In addition, Taita Tarapués points out that there are other plants, such as brugmansia and coca leaf, that have not yet been legalized and are considered sacred in his territories to alleviate the suffering of terminally ill patients.

Spiritual healing with marijuana

Most indigenous communities use cannabis for medicinal purposes, but cannabis usually has another use, which is spiritual healing.

In general, the use of cannabis has a spiritual and healing effect. This was explained by Paurito Boena, a young man who belongs to the community of the indigenous reservation of Nariño, who said: “In general, there are good and bad charms on a spiritual level, they are energies that we do not see but that we feel and that are often reflected in the discomfort of illness, unlucky days or even pacts made with a person through a spell performed by a third party. There are many causes, and marijuana cures these diseases”. He explained that the effects of marijuana and its smoke create a protective field against these energies. “Yes, marijuana has been used by our ancestors as a multifunctional tool; it helps with physical wounds, but also spiritually, allowing a field of protection to be created against bad energies that are transformed into diseases. Although the subject has become very controversial today, modern indigenous communities have tried to separate the ancestral from the legal,” Paurito said.

Marijuana as a channel of spiritual communication

Within the indigenous community, marijuana has been used as a tool for direct mystical communication with the spirits. Efrén, leader of the Pastos community, clarified that “for many generations, the use of this plant has been for sacred and healing purposes. We do not consider the plant harmful, nor do we use it for recreational purposes. Here it is used to talk to souls, to heal bad energies and to heal physical pain in our community.

He also explained the healing and immediate benefits of medicines made from marijuana. “We see marijuana as a sacred plant; it heals you, it relieves pain, but more than that, it connects you to the spirits. We don’t agree that there should be restrictions on the use of this plant for generations. It brings benefits to our community. We do not have doctors or hospitals here. We try to use our ancestral knowledge in one way or another to help with difficult illnesses, and miraculously we have had excellent results, and we have followed the indications of the spirits by using the knowledge in the best way,” the community leader concluded.

For most indigenous communities, the use of marijuana has positive effects and allows them to communicate with spirits, heal evil energies and support society. Now, in the heart of the department of Cauca, Colombia, which produces almost all of the country’s illegal marijuana, legal cannabis is being produced for medicinal and scientific use.

The news is twofold, because those who will produce it are members of the Isak indigenous community of the department, which in 2020 became the first indigenous community to be granted a license to grow the plant by the Ministry of Justice. Now they hope that their knowledge will be one of the main pillars for the legalization of the plant for medicinal, cultural and ancestral purposes.

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Cannabis

RFK Jr. Does Champion Cannabis

Published

5 minutes ago

January 30, 2025

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He is in middle of the process to be the new Health and Human Services Secretary, the good news he aligns with their stance on marijuana.

Robert F Kennedy, Jr has some unique healthcare ideas and it is causing a bit of a stir in Congress. He is being nominated to be the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency, among other things, is responsible for advancing the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services along with ensuring food and drug safety, and provide health insurance programs. Part of the programs they oversee include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is a massive job with million of lives effected. His approval by the Senate could make a difference in one area, RFK Jr does champion cannabis.

Kennedy has gained the ire of public health officials, the Kennedy family, bipartisan Congressional members and more…but the new administration backs him. When he announced his endorsement of this GOP nominees, the current President embraced him wholeheartedly. He would have influence of the chaos of the rescheduling process. He would also provide home to the thousands of small business in the industry.

Kennedy’s stance on marijuana is multifaceted:

Federal Legalization: He supports the complete federal legalization of marijuana, which would align federal policy with the growing number of states that have already legalized cannabis for recreational use.
Banking Services: Kennedy advocates for opening up traditional banking services to the cannabis industry. This would address the current cash-intensive nature of the business, which he believes encourages crime.
Tax Revenue Allocation: A central aspect of Kennedy’s plan is to implement a federal tax on marijuana sales. He proposes using this revenue specifically to fund drug treatment and rehabilitation centers.
Treatment Centers: Kennedy envisions creating “renewal centers” that would focus on treating mental illness, PTSD, and drug addiction. These centers would also incorporate therapeutic activities like organic farming.
Personal Freedom: While acknowledging his own past struggles with addiction, Kennedy emphasizes the importance of personal freedoms and views the current policy of criminalizing and incarcerating people for drug use as unsustainable.

As the debate around marijuana legalization continues, Kennedy’s stance represents a an updated and science based cannabis policy. It also emphasizes treatment and regulation over criminalization. His position aligns with a growing bipartisan trend towards cannabis legalization, reflecting changing public attitudes and a reevaluation of America’s approach to drug policy

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Cannabis News

Emotional Regulation Get Easier with Cannabis?

Published

2 hours ago

January 30, 2025

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emotional regulation with cannabis

Emotional regulation refers to an individual’s ability to manage to various emotional stimuli in an appropriate manner.

When one is able to regulate their emotions, it means that they are able to withhold intense and extreme emotions, even when the situation normally calls for it. As a result, they are able to express their emotions in a proper way; it is controlled but not suppressed, it’s mindful and aware. Effective emotional regulation has been linked to emotional maturity, better relationships, and an improvement in overall well-being.

However, using certain drugs as well as alcohol have proven to negatively impact one’s ability to regulate their emotions. This is because drugs engage with the neurotransmitters in the brain, including those responsible for the production of serotonin and dopamine, which are necessary for healthy emotional regulation. When we consume central nervous system depressants such as alcohol, as well as stimulants in drugs, these severely impede our serotonin levels which can cause depression and other mental health issues. In addition, drugs have been found to affect emotional dysregulation and dependence.

But not cannabis.

According to the results of a clinical study conducted by researchers at the Oregon State University and Washington State University, inhaling weed containing over 20% THC was not found to have any impact on emotional regulation.

For the study, investigators analyzed the effects of weed smoking on 12 adults; all the participants already had experience smoking weed in the past and even used their own cannabis supply. The researchers then analyzed the mood and emotional regulation capabilities of the participants during times of sobriety as well as when they were stoned from weed. Surprisingly, they found that the subjects’ performance didn’t differ when made to undergo several tasks after smoking weed.

“There was no evidence that acute high-potency cannabis use affected participants’ implicit or explicit emotional regulation,” they said. The researchers also noted that the participants acknowledged there was an improvement in their mood and anxiety reduction after using weed.

“The current pilot study assessed whether being under the influence of high-potency cannabis flower affects emotion regulation among a sample of young adults who use cannabis regularly,” they concluded. “While participants reported more positive mood and decreases in anxiety while intoxicated, there was no evidence to suggest that intoxication from high-potency cannabis flower affected emotion regulation,” the researchers wrote.

How Else Can Cannabis Benefit Emotional Health?

Thousands of people rely on cannabis for its benefits on their emotional and mental well-being. In fact, most cannabis consumers have a positive association with cannabis and emotions, since it can effectively help them reduce encounters of negative emotions in general. For example, instead of ruminating in stress and worry, people can medicate with weed at the end of the day. This not only aids in relaxation, but also offers a natural, safe outlet for coping with the stresses of everyday life.

In the same vein, this is also why more individuals, particularly those in high-stress positions such as parents, CEO’s, and entrepreneurs, have made microdosing or getting high a part of their daily life. No longer is alcohol seen as the only way to cope: weed is in, and it’s a much healthier way of dealing with life.

While this may be something that science can’t explain just yet, cannabis does have the unique ability to slow down one’s racing thoughts and the endless mental chatter, while helping make it easier to focus on the present. For this reason and more, weed has already been widely integrated into many wellness retreats in legal cities. Weed, mindfulness, and yoga simply go together so well, enhancing the peaceful effects of one another. Cannabis consumers can also enjoy a great deal of relaxing activities with a heightened sense of enjoyment, effectively helping one forget about their negative emotions such as anger, stress, and frustration.

So the next time you’re feeling extremely irritable or pissed off, why not pop a gummy or have a toke, and spend some time outside. You’ll see how difficult it can be to stay mad.

What You Take Matters

For those who want to use cannabis to improve their emotional regulation, what you take – and how much of it – matters just as much too.

That’s why there are many more studies suggesting that low-dose THC is best especially for anxiety and stress. On the other hand, high doses of THC can be detrimental for your mental and emotional well-being.

According to a 2017 study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Chicago: “We found that THC at low doses reduced stress, while higher doses had the opposite effect, underscoring the importance of dose when it comes to THC and its effects,” they said. The same is also true for psychedelics, which can partly explain the popularity of microdosing psychedelics. Meanwhile, anything that can you too high can in fact, cause intense anxiety and stress.

Conclusion

It can feel almost impossible to avoid stressful situations that can cause you to feel out of whack, emotionally. In fact, stress is just a normal part of life. But losing your temper, ruminating in negative emotions for hours, and being so upset that it affects other aspects of your life, is not normal.

That said, there are a variety of ways you can deal with stress and the negative emotions it brings. Cannabis can be a key ingredient for helping you restore balance in your emotions as well as mental health.

CANNABIS AND EMOTIONAL HOMEOSTATIS, READ ON…

CANNABIS FOR EMOTIONAL HOMESTATIS – WHAT WE NOW KNOW!

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Marijuana Business Daily

Ohio recreational marijuana market already showing signs of price contraction

Published

6 hours ago

January 30, 2025

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Products in Ohio’s recreational marijuana market are showing signs of price contraction only five months after sales began.

Adult-use sales for the market topped $242.2 million in 2024, meeting industry expectations for the potential of a market that launched on Aug. 6.

And while sales are growing, an analysis of weekly adult-use data from Ohio’s Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) shows the price per item/pound in almost all the categories slid with more than half the products experiencing double-digit declines.

Plant material, which accounts for 52% of recreational sales in Ohio, almost doubled since the market opened.

Ohio consumers bought 2,158 pounds of plant material in the first week of January 2025, up from 1,284 pounds in the week ending Aug. 10.

But declining

Read full article on Marijuana Business Daily

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