Gods and Goddesses of Nainital

Cannabis is an illegal substance in most countries of the world presently. However for centuries humans have used cannabis for its medicinal, spiritual and recreational benefits, up until around a hundred years ago when it began to become illegal and maligned. Now as modern research begins to unfold medical benefits of Marijuana for various ailments, many for which no reasonable modern treatment exists such as epilepsy in children and PTSD in adults to name just a few, efforts have begun in many parts of the world to re-legalize it. It is something that was legal for thousands of years of human history and created no problems except in the aforesaid period of less than hundred years when it was made illegal. Aside from its medicinal and spiritual use, modern studies appear to have established that it is much safer than alcohol as a relaxant and for recreational use also. Alcohol used similarly can kill and prompt crimes. Marijuana does not kill and suppresses tendency f...

Himalayan Cannabis   “Compassionate people are geniuses in the art of living, more necessary to the dignity, security and joy of living than discoverers of knowledge” Albert Einstein “Those who seek joy and dignity through an attainment of wealth devoid of goodness and compassion lose both and drive themselves to the top of a mountain of misery and the edge of an abyss” Ashok M. https://www.whaxy.com/news/himalaya-marijuana   Cannabis is presently an illegal substance in India . It was not so in the past and there is much history and mythology associated with substance. names of God in Himalayan and sub – Himalayan regions is Shiv or Shiva. Many Himalayan sages have meditated on the Infinite Lord known as Shiva. Shiva because of His infinity can have no form, but devotees have personified him in numerous and varied forms the most famous being  the dancing Shiva or Shiva Natraja, as the creator of life, the Shiv Linga and as a meditating sag...

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cannabis_ruderalis_%28wild_marijuana,_habitus%29.jpg Although cannabis is presently an IILEGAL substance in India, around much of Nainital district as well as adjoining districts of Tehri Garwhal and   Almora, wild cannabis of a good variety grows freely as a wild herb. For millenniums the herb was used by local persons and herbalists for many purposes from medicinal to meditation and from recreational to a relaxant. Then somewhere far away in USA in 1930’s it was made illegal. It is said although not proven that it was because of commercial interests of Du Pont that had come up with new fiber nylon and that another produced from hemp a taller variety of the plant was a competition.  In the ensuing years, other far more powerful commercial interests from the legal and illegal drug industries appear to have developed to keep it illegal. So powerful were these interests that it seems even research was made near ...

Cannabis While Cannabis has been declared as an illegal substance in many countries of the world, recent studies suggest that there may be a need to review the associated laws.   R ecently, I got involved in a discussion and a friendly disagreement with a medical practitioner regarding the treatment of a patient who has been on certain psychiatric drugs for several years now and as one would expect, is not leading a full life as a result of it. The drug prescription had started when the patient in question suffered a traumatic experience in her life at an age of around twenty. The difficulty with the drug regime recommended for this patient is that if the drug is given up (at least suddenly) it may lead to serious and severe consequences such as seizures and if continued, it builds up into side effects like liver disease, Parkinson’s and far worse after prolonged use, and while in use it dulls a person so that they cannot function in a normal and alert manner whi...

Until a century ago, cannabis and its products were a legally and freely available in India. Presently it is an Illegal substance. This plant is indigenous to Himalayan region and its consumption has been common amongst hermits and mystics of the region since ancient times. Although it has been made illegal in many countries over the past century, it appears that it is less addictive than tobacco or alcohol and less likely to produce harm through improper use than alcohol. On the other hand when appropriate varieties of it are used properly this plant also has great medical benefits as well as meditative ones. Mystics have found it to be an aid in their meditative and spiritual pursuits. With the declaring of this plant as illegal, it lost its respectability around the world and was looked down at as a harmful drug. However, a recent documentary on CNN and the findings of Dr. Sanjay Gupta has gone a long way in restoring the respectability of Cannabis. It has either been leg...