Religious and Spiritual Use of Cannabis - Ancient and Modern India and Nepal

Ancient and Modern India and Nepal

The earliest known reports regarding the sacred status of cannabis in India and Nepal come from the Atharva Veda estimated to have been written sometime around 2000 - 1400 BC, which mentions cannabis as one of the "five sacred plants".. There are three types of cannabis used in India and Nepal. The first, bhang, consists of the leaves and plant tops of the marijuana plant. It is usually consumed as an infusion in beverage form, and varies in strength according to how much cannabis is used in the preparation. The second, ganja, consisting of the leaves and the plant tops, is smoked. The third, called charas or hashish, consists of the resinous buds and/or extracted resin from the leaves of the marijuana plant. Typically, bhang is the most commonly used form of cannabis in religious festivals.Scholars have come to beleive that the 'sacred' status of the cannabis was created with an intent of preventing the harvest and unethical use of cannabis by devotees.Shaivite philosophies do assert that the Cannabis plant should not be used without ritual observance or guidance because of the plant's ability to send people into an 'outwardly state' or a trance