Cannabis Archives - Bernard von NotHaus

Early Spiritual Uses of Cannabis

Early Spiritual Uses of Cannabis – Despite the growing volume of literature on the subject of hemp, the historical routes of its diffusion remain obscure, and there is scant reference to its ubiquitous role in early spiritual uses such as folk ritual, magic and medicine among European peasantry…

So begins Chapter 27 in my new book, One Toke To God; 30 Essays by Noted Researchers into The Entheogenic Spirituality of Cannabis.

I promised to post another excerpt and I apologize that it took me so long to get it done. What can I say, I am a really busy guy.

Spiritual use of Cannabis — Cannabis Leaf from Creative Commons

The origin of the term cannabis is a derivative from the nomadic Scythians by peoples of the Near East, diffused among the people with whom they came in contact…

This essay reconsiders the origin of the term cannabis to demonstrate that it is derived from Semitic languages and that both its name and forms of its use were borrowed by the Scythians from the peoples of the Near East. We will thus discover that the use of cannabis predates by at least 1000 years its first mention by Herodotus…

There was barely any history of cannabis before the Greek historian Herodotus, in the fifth century B.C.E., observed that the Scythians used the plant to purge themselves after funerals by throwing hemp seeds on heated stones to create a thick vapor, inhaling the smoke and becoming intoxicated…

Each tribesman was required to participate in the cult of Riamba and show his devotion by smoking as frequently as possible. They attributed universal magical powers to hemp, which was thought to combat all kinds of evil, and they took it when they went to war and when they traveled. There were initiation rites for new members, which usually took place before a war or long journey. The hemp pipe assumed a symbolic meaning for the Bashilenge somewhat analogous to the significance which the peace pipe had for American Indians…..

If you enjoy the brief excerpts, I am sure you will enjoy reading the book.

Discover The CSC Book: One Toke To God

Book Excerpt, Conscious Living

Conscious living is on my mind today. My new book is a quite scholarly collection of 30 essays by noted researchers into The Entheogenic Spirituality of Cannabis, titled

One Toke to God

and released in conjunction with the establishment of the

Cannabis Spiritual Center.

I thought it might be enlightening if I were to post some excerpts from the book. This first excerpt is from Chapter 29, Parenting with Cannabis, by Nicole Linton and Jonathan Thompson:

Conscious Living

Cannabis is a gentle consciousness expander. She encourages us to look at our environment with peaceful eyes and a spirit of family-like intercon-nectedness. Instead of seeing the world and her people as objects to be owned or resources to be exploited, cannabis leads us toward a posture of stewardship. One of the ancient names for the entheogen S. divinorum among the Mazatecs of Oaxaca, Mexico, translates as “Eyes of the Shepherdess.” Cannabis, too, gives us the eyes and heart of a guardian, or protectress of creation. Conscious living, with a focus on the unbreakable connection between nature and humanity,….

Cannabis is, mystically, both an architect and the building materials of a better future. Her hemp body promises a renewable resource that’s incredibly versatile and easy on the environment; one that could replace corn for oil, trees for wood, nylon for rope, and cotton for clothing and other textiles…

Conscious living — The Entheogenic Spirituality of Cannabis

Check back next week for an excerpt from another chapter.

Press Release – One Toke To God

The Entheogenic Spirituality of Cannabis

NEW BOOK EXPLORES THE CANNABIS CONNECTION BETWEEN HUMANITY AND GOD

I apologize for not posting to this blog for so long, but I have been swamped with all the details involved with the founding of the Cannabis Spiritual Center in Malibu, California, and the release of a new book. Here is the Press Release;

One Toke to God

Cannabis is more than a medical aid for coping with pain, chemotherapy side effects and many other illnesses. It is more than a source of enjoyment and recreational delight. It is a way for humans to connect with their spiritual center – with the God within.

One Toke to God – The Entheogenic Spirituality of Cannabis is an anthology featuring 30 essays and analyses by well-informed scholars and researchers into the long history of cannabis and its unique potential to connect one’s self with the God within every human being.

The amazing essays document the use of cannabis from pagan nomads, to great civilizations, to the present-day entheogenic use of cannabis. And One Toke to God shows readers how to experience the spiritual connection that has endured since the very beginning of man’s existence on Earth. The renowned contributors not only show how cannabis has been used for thousands of years – they also document how it is being used today to connect with spirituality.

One Toke to God details a decentralized, democratic spiritual model, for free-thinking responsible individual spiritual seekers with twelve specific guidelines for personal cannabis use in the privacy of their home (where legal) once a week to connect with the eternal God within.

On Sunday, April 21, 1996, Bernard von NotHaus, a colorful child of the ’60s, took one toke, rediscovered the spirituality of cannabis and originated the Special Sunday Service (SSS) with One Toke to God. He has enjoyed one toke every Sunday for over 21 years – the world’s longest recorded case study for using cannabis as an entheogen. He is the founder and executive director of the Cannabis Spiritual Center in Malibu, California and a popular speaker on private currencies, cannabis and spirituality.