So finally it looks like things are heading in the right direction with more Plant based medicines and alternative healing modalities making their way into the mainstream culture of our society. It feels good to know that now there is more awareness of Cannabis being a medicinal plant, although its recreational use being more prevalent, it still is medicine for the sick and dying who could heal in a more holistic way, how nature intended it to be.

Here is an insightful post from our friends at Vedi Herbals about Cannabis and the Endocannabinoid System.

The Endocannabinoid System: How Cannabis works?

You have heard about the 11 major organ systems including the respiratory, muscular, skeleton, digestive and reproductive system. But have you heard about the Endocannabinoid System? Probably not, because it has only been discovered in the 1990s and scientists are still trying to understand the complete working of this system.

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) has been found to be the most important physiological system involved in establishing and supporting our health. It plays a vital role in modulating the regulation of homeostasis of the human body, which encompasses the brain, reproductive, and immune system, to name a few. Let’s take a deep dive into the ECS and how Cannabis works here.

Cannabis infused Ayurvedic medicines are available for patients because of their therapeutic benefits. You can buy Cannabis medicine online at Vedi Herbals.

What is the Endocannabinoid System?

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is a biological system composed of 3 components- 1. Endocannabinoids, 2. Cannabinoid receptors and 3. The cellular machinery (enzymes that produce and breakdown endocannabinoids). ECS is responsible for regulating various physiological and cognitive processes including appetite, mood, fertility, pain, and memory.

Endocannabinoids are molecules produced by cells that bind to cannabinoid receptors, known as CB1 and CB2, found throughout the body. Stimulating these receptors results in various physiologic processes inside the cell.

To understand how Cannabis works and its benefits, it’s important to understand the ECS.




How and when Medical Cannabis Evolved?

Decades back while Cannabis was being studied, it’s main active compound THC was discovered. However, scientists then didn’t have any clue that the human body has special receptors for it.

Research work on rats in 1988 helped the discovery of the first cannabinoid receptor (CB1).
In 1993, a second cannabinoid receptor (CB2) was identified which was found to be distributed throughout the immune system and peripheral tissues of the body.

In 1995, researchers discovered that the two receptors, CB1 and CB2 were found not only in rats but in million other species including humans. However, scientists were confused about why humans would have receptors for a substance which was made by some plant. Was it possible that our bodies produced cannabinoids similar to THC?

As research advanced, this was proved true. From what we know yet, human bodies produce 80 endocannabinoids (i.e. cannabinoids produced by our body) and nearly 32 receptors to bind them. The cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids interact in the same way as lock and key and together comprise the ECS. When the cannabinoid "key” attaches to the receptor "lock”, activation occurs, resulting in the amazing effects on the brain and body.

The cannabinoids produced by Cannabis like CBD and THC (also known as “Phyto-cannabinoids” or “Exo-cannabinoids”) work similar to the cannabinoids produced by our body (Endo-cannabinoids) and act as keys for the receptor locks.

Why We Need Cannabis or Phyto-Cannabinoids?

With age and lifestyle, the endocannabinoid levels might change and can lead to various health problems including sleep disorders, inflammatory response, and Alzheimer’s.

Cannabis can play a vital role here. The most popular cannabinoids found in Cannabis are THC and CBD, with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. This external source can help promote homeostasis in our body and re-establish good health.




How does Cannabis Work?

They work in two ways, one by maintaining the ECS and secondly by complementing if there is a deficiency.

THC in Cannabis is responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis, as well as many of the medicinal properties. THC works by interacting with the ECS’s CB1 and CB2 receptors. By stimulating these receptors,THC can imitate the function of the endocannabinoids our bodies produce to regulate physiology and maintain health.

While CBD in Cannabis interacts with other nominal receptors with remarkable effects. For instance, CBD activates the receptor GPR55, which has been shown to assist in reducing pain and inflammation. CBD has been shown to decrease the activity of THC’s activity at CB receptors. Combining CBD and THC decreases the intoxicating and other side effects of THC, while enhancing some of THC’s benefits and hence they usually work best together.

If there is a cannabinoid deficiency in the body, administering Cannabis can help bring levels to normal. Low Cannabinoid levels trigger health issues like headaches, mood swings, irritability, etc. The optimum level of endocannabinoids maintains vital health functions and helps restore the balance within the body.

How are Cannabis and Ayurveda related?

Interestingly, Cannabis is a vital ingredient in more than 80 traditional Ayurvedic formulas. It has been used in Ayurveda for thousands of years in India, mainly to treat pain, insomnia, stress, and anxiety. Cannabis is regarded as one of the five essential plants in Vedas. Cannabis, also known as “Vijaya” means attaining victory over sufferings.

What is CBD and what is THC?

CBD and THC are two vital components, described as "sister molecules". CBD and THC have many similarities,yet distinct differences. Both have different roles to play, offer incredible health benefits, and relief to symptoms.

For some ailments, the intoxicating effects of THC are more beneficial while for others CBD is more appropriate. CBD is capable of blocking the effects of compounds such as THC. Consequently, it can balance the intoxicating effects of THC. Cannabis medicines are available in different proportions of CBD and THC for various health issues.



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In the story that follows, Sadhguru tells us about Shiva, the first yogi, and how he transmitted the yogic sciences to the Saptarishis.

Sadhguru: In the yogic culture, Shiva is not known as a god, but as the Adiyogi or the first yogi – the originator of yoga. He was the one who first put this seed into the human mind. According to the yogic lore, over fifteen thousand years ago, Shiva attained to his full enlightenment and abandoned himself in an intense ecstatic dance upon the Himalayas. When his ecstasy allowed him some movement, he danced wildly. When it became beyond movement, he became utterly still.

People saw that he was experiencing something that nobody had known before, something that they were unable to fathom. Interest developed and people came wanting to know what this was. They came, they waited and they left because the man was oblivious to other people’s presence. He was either in intense dance or absolute stillness, completely uncaring of what was happening around him. Soon, everyone left… Except for seven men.








These seven people were insistent that they must learn what this man had in him, but Shiva ignored them. They pleaded and begged him, “Please, we want to know what you know.” Shiva dismissed them and said, “You fools. The way you are, you are not going to know in a million years. There is a tremendous amount of preparation needed for this. This is not entertainment.”

So they started preparing. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, they prepared. Shiva just chose to ignore them. On a full moon day, after eighty-four years of sadhana, when the solstice had shifted from the summer solstice to the winter solstice – which in this tradition is known as Dakshinayana – the Adiyogi looked at these seven people and saw that they had become shining receptacles of knowing. They were absolutely ripe to receive. He could not ignore them anymore. They grabbed his attention.

He watched them closely for the next few days and when the next full moon rose, he decided to become a Guru. The Adiyogi transformed himself into the Adi Guru; the first Guru was born on that day which is today known as Guru Pournami. On the banks of Kanti Sarovar, a lake that lies a few kilometers above Kedarnath, he turned South to shed his grace upon the human race, and the transmission of the yogic science to these seven people began. The yogic science is not about a yoga class that you go through about how to bend your body – which every new born infant knows – or how to hold your breath – which every unborn infant knows. This is the science of understanding the mechanics of the entire human system.

After many years, when the transmission was complete, it produced seven fully enlightened beings – the seven celebrated sages who are today known as the Saptarishis, and are worshipped and admired in Indian culture. Shiva put different aspects of yoga into each of these seven people, and these aspects became the seven basic forms of yoga. Even today, yoga has maintained these seven distinct forms.

The Saptarishis were sent in seven different directions to different parts of the world to carry this dimension with which a human being can evolve beyond his present limitations and compulsions. They became the limbs of Shiva, taking the knowing and technology of how a human being can exist here as the Creator himself, to the world. Time has ravaged many things, but when the cultures of those lands are carefully looked at, small strands of these people’s work can be seen, still alive. It has taken on various colors and forms, and has changed its complexion in a million different ways, but these strands can still be seen.

The Adiyogi brought this possibility that a human being need not be contained in the defined limitations of our species. There is a way to be contained in physicality but not to belong to it. There is a way to inhabit the body but never become the body. There is a way to use your mind in the highest possible way but still never know the miseries of the mind. Whatever dimension of existence you are in right now, you can go beyond that – there is another way to live. He said, “You can evolve beyond your present limitations if you do the necessary work upon yourself.” That is the significance of the Adiyogi.

Editor’s Note: Download Sadhguru’s ebook, Shiva – Ultimate Outlaw, alongwith Vairagya, an album of sacred chants (also available as an Android App). They’re free!



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For a land of traditional knowledge and wisdom of the ancients, India has today become a place where its people have forgotten what it is to be human while chasing material wealth and sensory pleasures like the rest of the human population on Earth. In India we find all kinds of folks ... some awake and aware .... some who seem deeply archaic and medieval in their world view to the techno savvy robots tuned into the Matrix with obviously no idea of the extent of mind control and manipulation that goes on in our reality.

Before western medicine and pharmaceutical drugs came into the scene mankind always relied on natural remedies to cure any diseases and ailments. Cannabis for instance has always been used as medicine throughout various cultures around the world and is now making a resurgence on the world stage as a potential remedy for all kinds of ailments and disorders that affect the human body. I came across one such shining example of someone being cured of Cancer using Cannabis Oil in India. The story was shared on Facebook on a highly popular page called 'Being Indian' sometime in November last year and has managed to fetch close to 25,000 likes with about 10,000 shares and thousands of comments which shows some signs of the truth finally reaching out to the masses. Its up to us now what we choose to do with this information.





Viki Vaurora used 500 gms of Ganja buds and extracted all its medicinal properties to its oil base, concentrated with THC and CBD compounds. 14 gms of oil was extracted from this process and was ingested in small doses for a period of 2 months. Leela who was suffering from cancer for a long time wasn’t able to eat, talk, walk or sleep peacefully because of the the damage done through chemotherapy but after 2-3 days into the treatment by Viki, she was able to eat and rest without any pain.

Here is the full story ...

What an amazing day with some great news.

A couple of months ago, i was talking to my cousin regarding the amazing benefits of CANNABIS and the reasons for it being illegal. She being an Ayurvedic doctor was quite surprised to learn about the medicinal values of the plant and later informed me that one of her neighbour and a family friend, LEELA, was suffering from cancer. The chemotherapy had damaged her to an extent where she wasn't able to eat, talk, walk or even sleep peacefully. She was throwing up like 20 times in a day and she had to pop like half a dozen of prescribed pills at a time to null the side-effects of the toxic chemo injections. None of the prescriptions was helping her in anyway.

Next thing we know, we asked the patient if she wanted to switch to the "REAL" medicine. A sacred plant, filled with medicinal compounds to cure any disease known to man, CANNABIS / MARIJUANA or commonly referred to as GANJA, in India.

I got my hands on half a kilo of plant buds and extracted all its medicinal properties to its oil base, concentrated with THC and CBD compounds.

14 grams of extracted oil, ingested in small doses over a period of 2 months.

Our patient is now cancer FREE.
And her doctors are curious to know HOW?

Just 2 or 3 days into the treatment, she stopped throwing up completely and was able to eat a little and also rest without any pains.

And in the course of next two months, she healed herself completely.

Thank you Leela for being a brave patient, handling the powerful medicine on a daily basis and finishing your treatment.
Thank you Sowjanya for your brave support in letting me do this. Our world needs more open-minded doctors like you.
Thank you Sushmitha and Harshith for accompanying me in the very long extraction process. (still owe u guys the pizza that we never ordered that night)
Thank you Abhiram for you greatest support. This couldn't have happened without you.
Thank you Sowju and Sowmya for taking the test dose.
And thanks mom, for helping me clean seeds from half a kilo of plant
You are all awesome - Viki Vaurora

Many of us who have blindly accepted Ganja or Cannabis as a dangerous drug still continue to live in our bubble reality, oblivious of the truth. Its only after having done some research into the subject can we truly understand how this really works and the ulterior motives of the big pharma and the-powers-that-be to suppress natural cures and herbal remedies while pumping toxicity into the vast majority which continues to sleep in a perpetual state of ignorance. It is time we speak the truth as we know it and help ourselves and the planet of all negativity and lower, pesky vibrational frequencies which seek to keep us in their control. There are many folks who are beginning to use Cannabis as medicine and there are scores of articles in the mainstream media on the potential benefits of Cannabis which should enlighten and awaken the masses, hopefully !

The only way we can free ourselves from this invisible prison is by gradually taking our power back, one step at a time. Once we stop feeding this system, we become more self sustained and connected to our roots, which is the need of the hour. Let's grow our own food, our own medicine ... let's change our world, one step at a time. The truth cannot be suppressed for too long ... we must be the change now. Its time !

Let's gear up for a Cannabis Reprise in India !

Join the Community for Legalization !

Some articles from The Times of India on Ganja :

Cannabis and its Medicinal Benefits.

Cannabis Reduces Tumor Growth in Cancer Patients



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One of the greatest spiritual teachers from India, a Yogi called Paramahansa Yogananda, left behind a treasure chest of knowledge and wisdom for millions to be inspired from. His book, Autobiography of a Yogi, considered a spiritual classic of all time made Paramahansa Yogananda a world teacher, a spiritual emissary who brought ancient Indian wisdom to the West.

His life and teachings continue to be a source of light and inspiration to people of all races, cultures and creeds. Paramahansa Yogananda was born Mukunda Lal Ghosh on January 5, 1893, in Gorakhpur, India, into a devout and well-to-do Bengali family. From his earliest years, it was evident to those around him that the depth of his awareness and experience of the spiritual was far beyond the ordinary.


Both his parents were disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya, the renowned master who was instrumental in reintroducing Kriya Yoga in modern India. When Yogananda was an infant in his mother’s arms, Lahiri Mahasaya blessed him and foretold: “Little mother, thy son will be a yogi. As a spiritual engine, he will carry many souls to God's kingdom.”


One day in 1920, while meditating at the Ranchi school, Yogananda had a divine vision showing him that now was the time to begin his work in the West. He immediately departed for Calcutta, where the next day he was invited to serve as India’s delegate to an international congress of religious leaders convening later that year in Boston. Sri Yukteswar confirmed that the time was right, saying: “All doors are open for you. It is now or never.”

Shortly before his departure, Yogananda was visited by Mahavatar Babaji, the deathless master who revived in this age the ancient science of Kriya Yoga. “You are the one I have chosen to spread the message of Kriya Yoga in the West,” Babaji said to Yogananda. “Long ago I met your guru Yukteswar at a Kumbha Mela; I told him then I would send you to him for training. Kriya Yoga, the scientific technique of God-realization, will ultimately spread in all lands, and aid in harmonizing the nations through man's personal, transcendental perception of the Infinite Father.”

You can find more about his life here.

'Awake : The Life of Yogananda' is an unconventional biography about the Hindu Swami who brought yoga and meditation to the West in the 1920s. Paramahansa Yogananda authored the spiritual classic “Autobiography of a Yogi,” which has sold millions of copies worldwide and is a go-to book for seekers, philosophers and yoga enthusiasts today. (Apparently, it was the only book that Steve Jobs had on his iPad.) By personalizing his own quest for enlightenment and sharing his struggles along the path, Yogananda made ancient Vedic teachings accessible to a modern audience, attracting many followers and inspiring the millions who practice yoga today.


Filmed over three years with the participation of 30 countries around the world, the documentary examines the world of yoga, modern and ancient, east and west and explores why millions today have turned their attention inwards, bucking the limitations of the material world in pursuit of self-realization.

Archival material from the life of Yogananda (who died in 1952) creates a spine for the narrative, but the film stretches the dimensions of a standard biography. The footage includes stylized interviews, metaphoric imagery and recreations, taking us from holy pilgrimages in India to Harvard’s Divinity School and its cutting-edge physics labs, from the Center for Science and Spirituality at the University of Pennsylvania to the Chopra Center in Carlsbad, California. By evoking the journey of the soul as it pushes its way through the oppression of the human ego and delusion of the material world, the film creates an experiential immersion into the unseen realms. AWAKE is ultimately the story of humanity itself: the universal struggle of all beings to free themselves from suffering and to seek lasting happiness.

Get your copy of the Autobiography of a Yogi ... It is a must read !!!




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Bhang, the Holy Drink of Lord Shiva, is LEGALLY sold in India and its use is not restricted to the Sages and Holy Men (Sadhus) who have renounced the material world to maintain singular focus on Shiva, for everything is Shiva in the eyes of an initiated Shaivite. All bhakti (devotion) finally leads the bhakt (devotee) towards the realization of absolute oneness with the deity, whoever the deity might be. The use of Cannabis in the form of Bhang is deeply rooted in the Indian culture and has references in the Vedas as well. The Atharva Veda, estimated to have been written sometime around 2000 – 1400 BC, mentions Cannabis to be one of the five sacred plants and the guardian angel resides in its leaves.


In certain Vedic rituals, Cannabis stems were thrown into the ritual fire (yagna) to overcome enemies and evil forces. The Vedas also refer to it as a source of happiness, joy giver and liberator. One version says that, when the devas (gods) and demons churned the ocean, nectar (amrit) as well as poison (vish) emerged. No one wanted the poison, so Shiva drank it all up, which earned him the title 'Neelkanth, the Blue Throated One'. As per one version, the poison remained in his throat as Parvati held his neck tight, not allowing the posion to go any further into his body. When a drop of Amrit fell on the ground, the Cannabis plant sprouted from it. This plant is believed to bestow supernatural powers to its user.






In Tibet, this plant has been traditionally considered sacred. According to one Mahayana Buddhist tradition, the Buddha, in his last six years of ascetism before enlightenment, subsisted on one Cannabis seed a day.

In Tantric Buddhism this plant is consumed to heighten ones awareness during certain rituals. A gift from the gods, according to Indian mythology, the magical Cannabis "lowered fevers, fostered sleep, relieved dysentery, and cured other illnesses. It also stimulated appetite, prolonged life, quickened the mind, and improved judgement."


British psychiatrist G. Morris Carstairs spent 1951 in a large village in northern India and reported on the two highest castes, Rajput and Brahmin, and their traditional intoxicants of choice - alcohol and cannabis, respectively. The Rajputs were the warriors and governors; they consumed a potent distilled alcohol called 'daru'. The Brahmins were the religious leaders; they were vegetarian and drank bhang. Rajput lore, glorified sexual and military conquests. The priestly Brahmins, on the other hand, "were quite unanimous in reviling daru and all those who indulged in it. Bhang, a Brahmin told Carstairs, "gives good bhakti." He defined bhakti as "emptying the mind of all worldly distractions and thinking only of God." Whereas the Rajput in his drinking bout knows that he is taking a holiday from his sober concerns, the Brahmin thinks of his intoxication with bhang as a flight not from but toward a more profound contact with reality."

Cannabis has been used as an aphrodisiac for thousands of years, yet ironically it has also been used to decrease sexual desire. Yogis have mastery over their senses, hence they can make the creative life force (shakti) travel upwards towards the Crown Chakra, through the Ajna, instead of being released outward in a sexual act. This knowledge behind the sacramental use of Cannabis is gradually spreading among thousands and millions of Cannabis users worldwide who have begun to see beyond the recreational use of Cannabis and recognizing its true worth as medicine and as an Entheogen, awakening our inner divinity, enabling us to realize how deeply we are intertwined with all existence.



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