Cannabis is a valuable plant with therapeutic, medicinal, and recreational qualities that can be used to support the human experience in many ways. Today, with a larger selection of unique cannabis breeds to choose from than ever before, there’s more opportunity for the cannabis consumer to pick and choose strains that meet their specific needs and wants. However, with hundreds of strains to choose from and more constantly being developed, there’s a growing demand for ways to make sense of all the huge selection and understand one’s preferences.
Over the last few years, the study of terpenes has taken the understanding of cannabis strains to the next level. By learning about terpenes and how they impact the different experiences that can be had with cannabis, there is not only a chance to gain insight into personal preference, but the study of terpenes also opens up pathways for deeper exploration into the therapeutic and medicinal applications of the plant. Of those pathways is the traditional Indian approach known as Ayurveda, one of the world’s oldest medical systems and a practice that is becoming increasingly popular here in the states.
‘The Science of Life’
Ayurveda, which is translated from the ancient language of Sanskrit as “the science of life” is a holistic medicine approach that considers almost every aspect of one’s life. From a person’s entire physical body to their personal and medical history, intake of foods and substances, working and living conditions, lifestyle choices, mental health, and so on.
In an interview with Cannabis Now, Leviyah Kern, a certified doctor of Ayurveda from the California School of Ayurveda, explained that the basis of the medicine practice is a diagnostic mechanism which looks for balance and imbalance to understand bodies and life systems and choose best suited treatment. In Ayurvedic medicine, balance in the body is understood by the relationship between the five elements: Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Ether. The five elements are combined into three fundamental regulatory principles of the body which are called “Doshas”. This word comes from a Sanskrit term meaning “fault” or “disease”.
Doshas are used to diagnose and understand balance and imbalance within the body, or to “identify the dominant nature within a unique person”, as Kern put it. According to her, everyone always exists with varying degrees of all five elements. However, people tend to express characteristics which are more heavily associated with one, or a combination of, the three Doshas: Vata, composed of air and ether, Pitta, composed of fire and water, and Kapha, composed of water and earth.
How Dosha Impacts Cannabis Preferences
The Dosha, or presiding nature of an individual, can reveal insights about lifestyle choices that are best suited to support and achieve balance in one’s life, including the ways in which cannabis consumption is approached. If a person is high in Vata for example, then it may be best for them to ingest cannabis through a food base as opposed to a smoke base so as not to add more air to the body and cause imbalance, Kern explained.
There are no broad-spectrum determinations in Ayurveda. All the emphasis is on making the correct diagnosis for each unique person and the full approach is grounded and precise. So, a balanced relationship with cannabis will look slightly different for everyone.
Cannabis is recognized in Ayurveda for its therapeutic qualities and known to be useful for a handful of diseases, or bodily imbalances, from nerve pain, to IBS, to asthma. In one of many Ayurvedic texts that cannabis is mentioned in, one refers to it as one of the five most sacred plants on Earth and has elsewhere been provided with names such as, “joy-giver”, “the one who conquers”, and “subtle power”.
The Ayurvedic medicine approach can certainly be enlightening when it comes to the use of cannabis as a form of therapy or medicine; and for the recreational consumer, Ayurveda can also provide a unique perspective. The classification system for weed as “indica” or “sativa” can be a good place to start, according to Kern.
Using the example again of a person high in Vata, she explained that an indica strain, known for more mellow and soothing effects, would likely be a better fit. Vata is associated with an active body and mind and those who are high in the dosha tend to be prone to feeling overwhelmed and experiencing changeable moods, consequently, a sativa strain, known to increase stimulation, may not be the best choice.
Terpenes and Gunas
Terpenes have taken the conversation around strain selection to the next level. As more information is made available, it’s become clear that the grouping of indica and sativa doesn’t always account for the nuances among cannabis strains. Modern day Ayurveda has looked at terpenes in various things similar to cannabis, according to Kern. To do so, terpenes are assessed and described by twenty qualities or attributes called gunas. The gunas, which are also used to describe doshas and other aspects of Ayurveda, consider all the senses and accounts for how something tastes, smells, looks, feels, etc.
To Kern’s knowledge, there hasn’t yet been a deep dive into cannabis terpenes from the perspective of Ayurvedic medicine, and it would be a difficult undertaking, she admitted. “Assessing cannabis terpenes would be like assessing the several types of oregano versus comparing oregano to parsley.” However difficult it may be, the pursuit of assessing prominent cannabis terpenes using gunas is certainly doable and definitely worthwhile, Kern said.
Cannabis and the Mind-Body Connection
There is a lot to learn from Ayurveda, which is a much different medical approach from what most of us are used to here in the West. Like Ayurveda, cannabis has also been used by humans for thousands of years as part of many cultures around the world. The cannabis plant has evolved with humanity in many ways. And as it continues to evolve, the more mindfully it’s consumed, the better it can continue to support health and balance.
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