Cannabis’ association with spirituality dates back hundreds of thousands of years. Many ancient cultures embraced the sacred plant and its versatile qualities.
Cannabis has an especially long history in India – where it may well originate from – being referred to in many religions, legends and sacred texts.
Hindu God Shiva is often associated with cannabis. It is said to be his favourite herb and even earned him the name ‘Lord of the Bhang’.
What is ‘Bhang’?
Bhang is a sacred cannabis-infused drink consumed during Hindu festivals including Holli.
It is made by infusing the flowers, leaves and stems of the cannabis plant with milk or curd, then mixing in herbs, spices, nuts and rose petals.
The drink is then heated – a process that ‘activates’ the cannabinoids in the mixture (including THC and CBD) through the process of decarboxylation. This is needed for the drink to produce its euphoric high.
Bhang is an important part of many ceremonies, festivals and rituals. It is drunk to connect you to Lord Shiva, free you from fear and enjoy yourself. It’s also popular as an aphrodisiac for brides on their wedding night.
How to make Bhang
Many different recipes for Bhang exist so don’t be scared to swap things up. For example, milk may be replaced with yoghurt, while nuts and spices can be changed to your taste.
Before you begin, please remind yourself that people’s tolerance to cannabis varies. Unfortunately, there is no one perfect dosage to suit all.
Due to the way THC is metabolised in the stomach, its effects are very strong. So please don’t overdo it. You want to enjoy your high!!!
If you don’t desire the ‘head high’ that comes from THC, try making bhang with CBD-rich cannabis. Mixing THC with CBD at different ratios is also worth experimenting with.
Ingredients
- 4 grams of cannabis leaves and flowers (the good stuff) or …½ oz of cuttings/bog weed
- 2 cups of water
- 3 cups of warm milk
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 3/4 brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground almonds
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp of garam masala
- 3 tsp of honey
- rose petals to garnish
Method
- Boil the water until bubbling frequently
- Add cannabis
- Boil for ten minutes on low heat
- Turn off heat and remove
- Slowly add your first cup of warm milk, stirring until well-mixed
- Add ground almonds or any crushed nuts of your choice
- Strain water and cannabis through muslin cloth, squeeze through any remaining liquid and keep in a bowl
- Now add the remaining milk, coconut milk and honey, mixing well
- Continue to mix adding ginger, sugar and a pinch of garam masala, mix well
- Leave in fridge to chill for a couple of hours
- Add rose petals to serve
