Traditional Cannabis use in India

Image by Jess Saunders Care of Superbly Green

While Western countries are moving towards legalising and decriminalising the use of cannabis, India has a rich history of using the plant both as a psychedelic and as medicine.

Cannabis has deep roots in Indian culture, appearing in legends, religion, and daily life. The earliest references are found in the Vedas, sacred Hindu texts compiled between 2000 and 1400 B.C. According to the Vedas, cannabis was one of five sacred plants, believed to be inhabited by a guardian angel. It was described as a source of happiness, a giver of joy, and a liberator—compassionately gifted to humanity to ease suffering, bring delight, and dissolve fear.

Traditional festivals such as Holi celebrate the use of cannabis, and in Indian mythology, the god Shiva is closely associated with the plant. Holy men, sages, and sadhus have long used cannabis in ritual practices to attain spiritual awareness, insight, and a sense of divinity through specific methods of preparation and consumption.

During British colonisation, colonial authorities also took an interest in cannabis. The landmark Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report of the 1890s concluded that cannabis posed relatively low mental health risks and validated its traditional use in India.

Cannabis has also played a key role in Indian systems of medicine, particularly Ayurveda, where it has been prescribed for centuries for ailments such as pain, rheumatism, and asthma. Ayurvedic texts describe around 209 cannabis-based formulations, used to treat 29 different disease conditions.

This talk will explore the cultural and medicinal history of cannabis in India, highlight differences between Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica in medical use, and discuss their pharmacology, including endocannabinoids, phytocannabinoids, CBD, and THC. The presentation will conclude with an overview of current legal issues surrounding cannabis in India and the emerging cultivation industry across Asia.