Hey folks, here are a few fun facts that a lot of people don't know about Cannabis.
1. Cannabis Was Used By Pre-Historic Humans
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"Early man experimented with all plant materials that he could chew and could not have avoided discovering the properties of cannabis for in his quest for seeds and oil, he certainly ate the sticky tops of the plant. Upon eating hemp the euphoric, ecstatic and hallucinatory aspects may have introduced a man to an other-worldly plane from which emerged religious beliefs, perhaps even the concept of deity. The plant became accepted as a special gift of the gods, a sacred medium for communion with the spiritual world and as such, it has remained in some cultures to the present." - Richard E. Schulte’s Man and Marijuana.
Cannabis has been prevalent since Man's creation and has been enshrined in all cultures of humanity all over the world. Cannabis has been used since the prehistoric days of man.
2. Cannabis's Medical Properties Were Known For Millenia
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Cannabis has been used in Ayurvedic and Hindustani medicine for at least eight thousand years to treat a variety of health conditions, including nausea and stomach ailments as discovered through archeology in the Indus Valley. It is also prescribed for general health, mindfulness and longevity. Gym trainers and wrestlers, sportsmen and body builders, philosophers and businessmen, students and teachers in India use cannabis as a part of their training to gain muscle mass, promote digestion, have clarity of mind, focus, attention, and build strength.
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.
3. Ancient Hindus Used Cannabis For Meditation
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And most importantly, the sacred planet is used for meditation. Cannabis is most closely associated with Shiva, one of the three Gods of the Hindu religion. Cannabis is considered Shiva's favorite plant as he rested under a Cannabis tree after an argument with his family, found the shade very peaceful and decided to gift the plant to mankind.
In reviewing the use of cannabis in the Hindu culture, the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission conducted a government study and put forth the following conclusions in their report:
"...It is inevitable that temperaments would be found to whom the quickening spirit of bhang is the spirit of freedom and knowledge. In the ecstasy of bhang, the spark of the Eternal in man turns into the light the murkiness of matter.
And ...
"...Bhang is the Joy-giver, the Sky-filler, the Heavenly-Guide, the Poor Man's Heaven, the Soother of Grief...No god or man is as good as the religious drinker of bhang...The supporting power of bhang has brought many a Hindu family safe through the miseries of famine. To forbid or even seriously restrict the use of so gracious an herb as the hemp would cause widespread suffering and annoyance and to large bands of worshiped ascetics, deep-seated anger. It would rob the people of a solace on discomfort, of a cure in sickness, of a guardian whose gracious protection saves them from the attacks of evil influences..."
4. Ancient Hindus Used Cannabis To Enhance The Mind & Body
Cannabis is often mentioned in the Hindu creation myth, where it is named as one of the five holy drinks of the gods and designated a "Reliever of Suffering." In Hindu mythology, the gods churn the Ocean of Milk in search of Amrit, the elixir of eternal life. One of the resulting holy drinks was cannabis. In the Vedas, cannabis is referred to as a "source of happiness." - Rig Veda
The meditative and spiritual aspects of cannabis are considered so profound in South Asia that many religious groups including Buddhists, Naths, Shaivites and Goddess-Worshipers, Tantrics in India, Nepal, Sikkim, and Tibet to this day hold it in holy reverence. Various spiritual texts, including the Buddhist Tara Tantra, list cannabis as an important aid to meditation and spiritual practice. In the Tantric Buddhism of the Himalayas and Northern India, cannabis plays a huge role in meditative rituals to facilitate deep meditation and heighten awareness.
Cannabis is one of the most amazing plants that exists on Earth. We need to disseminate this information and undo the damage caused by the Reefer Madness campaign of the 1930s by The United States Government.
People will be able to make up their own minds and we need to help get it legal on a federal and global level.
Cannabis and Meditation go hand in hand. :) Check out my other article on how to Meditate while on Cannabis for a Soul Revealing experience here: https://steemit.com/cannabis/@the-stoned-ape/how-the-stoned-ape-meditates-on-cannabis