Native to China and central Asia then brought to the rest of the world through trade and colonial conquest, Weed is a plant that tons of witches (and normies) enjoy for ritual and recreation. For some, being high is a state of openness that can help psychic waves flow. For empaths and those with anxiety, it can be a chance to turn off brain-chatter and get some sleep. There are also plenty of folks who don’t use Pot to get high: the topical healing properties are still out of this world. Weed is known as “the people’s plant” for its versatility and easy cultivation, but these days the Cannabis Industry is really re-directing that narrative. Pot consumption for recreation and healing is being co-opted by the so-called “ruling” class as a means of economic and racial control, and I think it’s time that the witches and herbalists put up a big ol’ stink about yet another sacred ceremony stubbed out by capitalism!
The Hazy History
As far as historians can tell, Weed has been around since… well, always! Probably since way before humans figured shit out, but there’s evidence of cultivation starting about 12,000 years back. Ancient peoples worked with hemp to build basically everything, and as far as we can tell they also got high as ceremony. Graverobbers found burned Cannabis seeds in the resting places of Chinese Shamans from over 2,500 years ago . The theory is that during funerals, mourners would light it as incense to guide the spirit of the dead to the other side. (For the record: as revealing as that knowledge is, those graves should have been left in peace.)
The entire Cannabis plant was associated with goddesses like Magu, Kali, Bast, and Aphrodite for its healing and practical properties. Most offerings to these goddesses were in the form of incense, or worshippers would drink a sort of Weed-tea to achieve an elevated spiritual state. In Germanic societies, harvesting hemp was part of a fertility festival to honor the goddess Freya.
And then came the capitalists.
Colonial capitalist cultures recognized the value of Weed and brought it everywhere to be cultivated by forced labor, particularly the Americas. Farmers in the Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Virginia colonies were actually required to grow hemp on their farms for use in fibrous materials like rope and thatching. Doctors in the newly-formed US almost always had “Cannabis oil” in their cases up until (and after) its criminalization.
The Buzz Kill
So how did we go from funeral rites and goddess worship and requiring farmers to grow cannabis hemp, to outlawing dirty scary “Marijuana” and taking voting rights away from folks who get caught with it? You guessed it: Racism! And capitalism!
To make a very long story short, during the Depression of the 1930’s bussinessmen and politicians who didn’t want to be held accountable for crashing the economy shifted blame to Mexican immigrants re: who is actually “taking” all the jobs (spoiler: it’s not Mexicans). They paradoxically stereotyped them as lazy pot smokers, re-labeling cannabis as “marijuana” (which is how we now know it as Mary Jane), and began using possession as an easy excuse to throw them in prison. And so on and so on until fairly recently.
These days, recreational pot is legal in 24 states and Big Cannabis is becoming an economic giant. And yet, SO many people are still sitting in jail for just simple possession. Nearly half of those are Black and Latinx, despite making up barely 30% of the general population. But we’re not just talking about the jail time (which is barbaric in itself). Folks convicted of Weed crimes can lose their voting rights, parental custody, and food stamp eligibility among tons of other consequences designed to keep marginalized communities... well, marginalized.
So that’s where “The People’s Plant” narrative gets SUPER twisted. It’s easy to feel like Weed is widely available; I saw a Tweet once that said “When your dispensaries look like an Apple store it’s time to release a lot of incarcerated people”. It’s so true. Ditto for the CBD shops popping up on every corner. And even though I’m not the one locking folks up for smoking or selling (or even just holding) Pot, it is still pretty gross that I can buy a ticket to a Weed Yoga Class while others have been totally ruined by drug policy.
How to Get High Responsibly
I’m by no means an expert, and there are many many other answers to this query, but here are just a few suggestions:
-Donate to bail funds or other orgs that directly help people incarcerated for “Pot crimes”. Last Prisoner Project is a great place to start.
-Use your high to advocate for restorative justice by bugging your Reps about the RESPECT Resolution, which has been bouncing around in sub-committee for over a year
-Grow your own! What better way to be fully connected to the Plant than by tending and caring for it yourself? Even if you’re not typically a “plant person”, a wise friend once told me “Trust me, you’re more invested in growing when it’s Weed”.
-Look into who owns the dispensaries you shop at. Is it a chain, or a mom n’ pop pot shop? Whose products are you purchasing when you shop there?
-Be mindful of where you get your paraphernalia too! Lots of the cheap pipes and bongs out there are mass-produced in a factory with sketchy materials, but there are tons of very talented artists making smokeware too. Check out @cannaclusive on Instagram for tons of suggestions for supporting POC-led Pot and CBD businesses.
The Magic Part
Okay, I did promise Weed Magic, right? Thanks for hanging in there. I just think that before we engage with Weed in ritual it’s really important to understand the social context it’s in, especially given the rampant appropriation of other ceremonial herbs like White Sage.
So although there are definitely next-level love spells and manifestation spells and inspiration spells that can be done while high, I’d like to look more at how Pot smoking can be an offering instead of an instrument. Like, remember all those goddesses associated with the Cannabis plant? It’s almost like there’s a deity from every culture who would appreciate you blowing a cloud of smoke their way. Ditto with ancestors and faeries.
-A quick spell for offering Pot smoke is to exhale while you say “From Earth to ether, you deserve a breather!” and then stay open to messages and requests from whomever you’re connecting with.
-You can also offer the actual bud on your altar. Offerings of something truly valuable, like Weed that you could otherwise be smoking, are really powerful for showing your appreciation. Maybe set aside a nug from each purchase or harvest, and burn it on an incense dish while you do your spellwork.
-Like Tarot or Pendulums, Weed Divination can be a great way to look for messages and instructions from guides. You can look for images in your smoke exhalations, check out the burn-pattern of a joint or bowl, or even give yourself a tea-leaf reading with Weed tea.
Well that’s all for now, Witches! Happy 4/20
