THE GLOSSARY
reclaiming the language
India has been the home of cannabis culture for thousands of years. Sanskrit words like 'ganja' and 'kush' are used worldwide to refer to the cannabis plant, without paying homage to the communities that preserved this culture throughout colonization. Sacred culture from the Indian sub-continent is constantly rebranded to serve the consumer in cannabis and wellness spaces. This glossary serves as a resource to accurately define and provide light on the history, etymology, and culture behind our favorite words.
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AMRITA
Derived from the Sanksrit word meaning immortal, amrita is a nectar of immortality that is first mentioned in the Rig Veda, an ancient text that’s said to be compiled between 1700 and 1100 BCE. The amrita came to exist after the Devas (gods) lost their immortality and the rakshasas (demons) gained power. The Devas sought to regain power and bring balance to the universe, but they could only do so by working with the demons to churn the nectar of immortality out of the ocean. The amrita was the last of 9-14 gifts (depending what sect of Hinduism you practiced.) Legend says that when the Devas and Rakshasas were fighting over the amrita, a drop of the nectar landed on the Earth and out sprung the cannabis plant.
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BHANG
Derived from the Urdu and Hindi word meaning ‘hemp’, the word bhang is commonly used to describe the full spectrum, ritualistic edible preparation of the cannabis plant. This ritual is said to date back to 1000 BCE to the Indian sub-continent, although some argue that it's use can be traced back further in time. The cannabis is ground into a paste with ghee, nuts, and spices and used to lace desserts in India on special holidays, such as Maha Shivratri. Bhang is presented as an offering to Lord Shiva: God of Destruction, Yoga, and of course, weed. Bhang is also used as slang for cannabis.
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CHARAS
The Hindi word for handmade live-resin hash from India and Jamaica. Charas is made by harvesting fresh flowers and rubbing them firmly in the palm. The trichomes and resin stick to the hand producing a dark, tar-like paste that is scraped from the hands and rolled into tolas, 11.7 gram logs. The time consuming process allots approximately 1 gram of charas per hour of extraction. This ancient form of extraction was taken to Jamaica during Britain’s indentured servitude of over 2 million Indians between 1830-1920. Although Indians preserved the ancient art of charas through their displacement, Indians from India can still argue that true charas only comes from the Parvati Valley in India, because of its unique terrior.
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DEVI
The original Sanskrit word for “goddess”. She is represented as the physical embodiment of the female energy, shakti, and Lord Shiva’s feminine equal. Devi has been idolized since the Vedic period, portrayed as a fierce warrior who sits upon a lion or tiger. She takes many forms, her most popular being Kali Ma- the black skinned goddess known for restoring justice by invoking fear upon sinners.
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GANJA
Derived from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘hemp’, the word ganja is identified by Dr. Prain in the Indian Hemp Drug Report as ‘the dried flowering tops of cultivated female hemp plants.’ Today, the word ganja is used to identify cannabis. The word was popularized due to the Rastafarian movement in Jamaica. In the 1850’s, cannabis seeds arrived in Jamaica through Britain’s indentured enslavement of the Indian sub-continent. Britain's displacement of 2 million Indians to consensual slave labor in Jamaica, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Ceylon, Trinidad, Guayana, Uganda and Kenya led to the spread of cannabis; undoing the work of Britian's Indian Hemp Drug Commission Report of 1893. As the plant spread, the word ganja was coined as an international term for cannabis.
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INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION REPORT OF 1893
Released in 9 volumes and 3,968 pages on Britain’s observations on cannabis consumption, cultivation, and culture within India. This report surveyed more than 1,200 Indians from different castes, religions and demographics to compare and contrast cannabis use amongst various populations. Till this day, this is the oldest known record of scientific research done on the cannabis plant. The research was broken down into three major categories: mental, physical and moral effects. The rich history of cannabis in India was reflected in the indigenous people’s knowledge of climate control, early hydroponic systems, and agricultural patterns of the plant. The first 8 volumes were released as a set, the last one being an addition in 1895. This last volume would set the tone for cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs for the next 100 years.
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KUSH
Derived from the Sanksrit word kusha, Americans adopted the term kush in the 1980's to describe cannabis strains that originate from the Hindu Kush Mountains. The name has many meanings in the Vedas, the most common meaning sourcing back to ‘grass’.
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KHUSH/KHUSHI
The Urdu word for happiness and joy. It is the state of overflowing ecstasy. A fun play on words, smoking kush makes me khush.
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LUV KUSH
The name given to the Hindu Goddess Queen Sita and God King Rama's twin children. Legend says Sita, banished from the kingdom of Ayodhya, found refuge in the ashram of Valmiki a powerful rishi, or sage. Luv was born in the ashram of Valmiki through Sita's womb. Kush, however, was created by Valmiki.
One day, Sita asked Valmiki to look after Luv while she went to the riverbanks to bathe. Seeing that Valmiki was busy and assuming he didn't hear her, she took Luv with her. Valmiki, who had heard but not responded, started panicking when he couldn't find the boy. He used his great powers to magically transform the kush grass into a boy identical to Luv. When Sita returned, she was surprised at the identical boy. She adopted the child and named him Kush. The two boys grew up together, protecting their mother and one another. We named Luv Kush after the fierce children who protected their mother, just as we protect Mother Nature and our luv for kush.
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VIJAYA
The Sanskrit word for "victorious," or "the conquerer." Vijaya is one of the oldest names for cannabis and was first mentioned in the Atharva Veda over 2,500 years ago.
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