A guide to the benefits and challenges of the use of cannabis in spiritual practice

• Includes chapters by 18 authoritative and influential voices of the modern cannabis movement, including Kathleen Harrison, Joan Bello, Hamilton Souther, Steven Hager, Chris Bennett, Dee Dussault, Jeremy Wolff, and Roger Christie

• Explores the use of marijuana in a wide range of spiritual practices, including meditation, yoga, chanting, visualization, shamanism, group ceremonies, work with other entheogens, and as a creative aid

Truly a medicine for body and soul, one of cannabis’s greatest gifts is its remarkable potential for spiritual healing and awakening. In this authoritative guide, editor Stephen Gray and 17 other influential voices of the modern cannabis movement explore the spiritual benefits of cannabis and offer guidance on how to interact with the intelligence of this plant ally, a companion and supporter of humanity for millennia. Exploring cannabis spirituality in practice, Gray’s chapters examine dosage, strains, and methods of intake; the use of cannabis to open the creative channels; how to conduct group ceremonies with cannabis; and cautions and counterindications for cannabis use. We hear from Chris Bennett on the religious and ritual use of cannabis from pre-biblical times to the present, Joan Bello on marijuana and the body-mind connection, Dee Dussault on ganja yoga, Kathleen Harrison on humanity’s co-evolution with cannabis, and cannabis shaman Hamilton Souther on working with the spirit of cannabis. The contributors explore the spiritual future of this plant ally as well as the ritual use of cannabis by the Rastafarians of Jamaica and the Sadhus of India. The chapters from Brazilian ayahuasca shaman Mariano da Silva and ayahuasca apprentice Francisco present wisdom on comingling the sacramental medicines of cannabis and ayahuasca.

Revealing the potential of “the people’s plant” to enhance a wide range of spiritual practices, such as meditation, yoga, chanting, visualization, shamanism, spirit work, and explorations with other entheogens, this guide shows how cannabis is an effective ally on the awakening journey, unlocking the receptive energy in us all and helping us to feel connected to nature, to each other, and to ourselves.

Stephen Gray is a teacher and writer on spiritual subjects and sacramental medicines. He has worked extensively with Tibetan Buddhism, the Native American Church, and with entheogenic medicines. The author of Returning to Sacred World: A Spiritual Toolkit for the Emerging Reality, he is also a conference and workshop organizer, leader, and speaker as well as a part-time photographer and music composer under the artist name Keary. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Foreword -- Julie A. Holland, M.D.

Acknowledgments

Introduction: A Renaissance of the People’s Plant -- Stephen Gray Ten Frequently Used Terms -- Stephen Gray

1. Who is She? The Personification of Cannabis in Cultural and Individual Experience --Kathleen Harrison

2. Venerable Traditions: A Brief History of the Ritual and Religious Use of Cannabis --Chris Bennett

3. Marijuana and the Body-Mind --Joan Bello

4. The Basics: Practical Guidance for Working with Cannabis as a Spiritual Ally --Stephen Gray

5. Cannabis Spirituality in Practice(s) --Stephen Gray

6. Group Ceremonies with Cannabis: A Field-Tested, “Open-Source,” Adaptable Template --Stephen Gray

7. For the Love of the Leaf: Ganja-Enhanced Yoga for the Modern Practitioner --Dee Dussault

8. Working with the Spirits: An Interview with Cannabis Shaman Hamilton Souther --Stephen Gray

9. Sacred Relationship: Wisdom for Cannabis Growers --LLP

10. Ritual and Religious Use of Ganja in Jamaica --Jeff Brown

11. Consciousness Transformation and the Ancient Wisdom of the Sadhus of India --Satyen Raja

12. Cannabis Wisdom from a Brazilian Ayahuasca Shaman --Mariano da Silva

13. Manifesting Presence: An Interview with Two Medicine Shamans --Stephen Gray

14. Santa Maria and Ayahuasca: A Commingling of Sacramental Medicines --Francisco

15. Thots on Pot, Part II : Lessons from the Leaf --Jeremy Wolff

16. The Hawaii Cannabis THC Ministry --Roger Christie

17. The New Pot Enlightenment --Steven Hager

18. Cannabis and Creativity: A Spiritual Perspective --Stephen Gray

19. Cannabis, Writing, and the Universal Spirit of Love --Floyd Salas

20. Opening the Channels:An Artist’s Perspective on Working with Cannabis --Svea Vatch

21. Cautions (and False Cautions), Obstacles, Sidetracks, and Objections --Stephen Gray

Conclusion: Toward a Widespread Transformation of Consciousness -- Stephen Gray

Notes

Bibliography