Cannabis and Spirituality

In most of the United States, cannabis can be used as a medicine to help alleviate pain, anxiety, seizures, and more. I started to use cannabis to help with my arthritis and chronic pain that began while I was in the military. After using cannabis for a number of months I started to notice that there was more to the plant, something that many of us seemed to be missing.

When using cannabis, there are some commonalities among most users. Besides increasing possibilities of the munchies, cannabis also increases focus and thoughts that arise. This increase in thinking can become somewhat addictive in some cases, as I have personally found it entertaining. The key here though is using this amplified thinking and awareness as a tool to increase our overall our ability to meditate. Using cannabis in conjunction with meditational practices makes this plant an excellent tool.

In this episode, we speak with Stephen Gray, who has been using cannabis as a meditational tool for many years. Stephen is the author and editor of Cannabis and Spirituality: An Explorer’s Guide to an Ancient Plant Spirit Ally. We speak to Stephen about cannabis and its uses as a medicinal plant that has a spiritual property. Stephen discusses his personal use of cannabis and how he has come to know the plant as an influential teacher in meditation techniques as well as the inspiration for his music and a joyful life. We also discuss how cannabis has been used by other experts historically in conjunction with other entheogens.

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.