If you’ve ever put on a hemp-fiber Rastafarian shirt while smoking from a large joint as you and your friends are listening to Snoop Dogg’s newest album, then you’re familiar with what constitutes “cannabis culture.” Cannabis culture has long been an important foundation of the marijuana movement, and it is due to passionate supporters of the cannabis community that we have legalized marijuana in Canada. You can buy this product in our store.
It’s clear that a country’s marijuana culture is deeply impacted by its status as a prohibited substance, but because cannabis legalization is a more recent phenomenon, there’s a lot of history to sort through when it comes to the worldwide culture of cannabis. The United States, perhaps the torchbearer for the “War on Drugs” movement, has one of the world’s strongest cannabis cultures, even though they are less likely to legalize under their current governments. Other countries, such as the Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, Thailand, India, and Jamaica have long histories with cannabis. While most of these countries have not federally legalized or even decriminalized marijuana, there is no doubting the strong bond between the many cannabis growers and consumers.
What Is Cannabis Culture?
There are several places on Earth that are better for cannabis than others, the majority of which are well-known: Jamaica, The Netherlands, British Columbia, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Mexico. Cannabis culture merchants can be found in the heart of these hash-havens’ downtown districts, and they all have their own distinct community of smokers, producers, freedom fighters, and medicinal users. The culture of cannabis has long been linked with spirituality and health, to the point that many aspects of marijuana usage are derived from shamanistic rituals or psychedelic “spirit journeys.” Vancouver (BC), Denver, Los Angeles, Amsterdam (Holland), and Kingston (Jamaica) have become contemporary hubs for global ganja, but if you want to discover where cannabis culture originated, you must go a lot farther east.
The jungles of South America are also rife with marijuana, but North American First Nations have a long history with cannabis, and many of the famed cannabis strains come from the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent. The word “ganja” is derived from the Sanskrit term “Ganges,” which refers to one of India’s most important rivers — we know, many of your minds may be blown, but ganja does not originate in Jamaica! The origins of cannabis culture may be traced back to South Asia and the Middle East, with some archaeological evidence suggesting that marijuana and hemp have been utilized for more than 9,000 years. These findings are altering how we view cannabis, and they’re just what we’ve discovered thus far – there’s a lot of speculation about whether pre-humans used it as a food source and maybe even as a psychedelic.
When you’re searching for what makes cannabis culture unique, you should start by considering the scope of history we humans have with this plant. We’ve co-existed (literally) all over the world since we’ve grown alongside each other in an almost symbiotic manner, and we’ve benefited from consuming marijuana in a variety of ways (medically, spiritually, economically) while also helping to spread the cannabis family into thousands, if not millions of genetic variants. The link between humanity and this herbaceous plant illustrates the heart of marijuana culture: working together in the aim of promoting excellent health, pleasure, and well-being.
Cannabis is more than a plant. But limiting cannabis to a single definition would be minimizing the fascinating connection our species has with the Cannabacea family. Cannabis is medicine for millions of people all around the world, and it can bring about laughter, enlightenment, and togetherness—and it may be something very personal but also something to share with those you care about. Cannabis culture is intrinsically linked to music, art, thought, and (unfortunately) politics. Marijuana has a significant impact on bringing people together across all spectrums because of its connection to cannabis culture. Cannabis culture’s second pillar is that it brings people together – no matter where you worship weed: Cannabis connects individuals, heightens emotions, and promotes enlightenment. The primary emphasis in weed culture is on togetherness — lighting up as a group, passing the blunt around, and experimenting and experiencing higher states together.
Cannabis culture shops are hotspots for individuals to exchange information, enthusiasm, and experiences about cannabis with like-minded people. However, this comes at a price; many nations do not acknowledge these firms or their consumers as having the legal right to produce/consume/distribute marijuana. The cannabis movement would argue that the government has no right to restrict people’s health and pleasure, so the dispute is really one of public policy vs. the general public. There’s a reason people have been so passionate about marijuana throughout history, even during America’s “Reefer Madness” days in the early-mid 1900s.
The culture of cannabis was created by its supporters, and vice versa. Modern society has ridiculed millions of stoners, potheads, hippies, and naturopaths throughout history, but the advocates of marijuana have been boosted by the advantages that this plant provides. Even in the face of impending persecution and jail time, marijuana smokers from around the world have maintained that this “herb” is a beneficial influence and should not be characterized as a “narcotic” by many governments. As another defining feature of cannabis culture that is simultaneously shared across nations, cannabis is therefore worth defending since it encompasses an important component of our human rights to health, happiness, and longevity.
The motive behind cannabis activism was always about health and well-being, which is what you might call this element of “underground culture.” There’s something appealing about the idea of supporting cannabis being an outlaw, especially if you live in a country where marijuana legalization isn’t on the horizon.
Cannabis can have a significant influence on someone’s quality of life, whether you need it for medical purposes or just to enjoy how it makes you feel. It’s possible that one of the main reasons why cannabis advocates are so firm in their defense of this plant and its many applications is because of this. Cannabis has been used to treat pains and aches, as well as epileptic seizures, sleep better, and boost appetite among others. Cannabis not only helps people with a variety of medical issues, but also those who use it recreationally. In this sense, medical marijuana is something to share with those you care about since you want to be healthy but also want your loved ones to be well. In this way, the culture of cannabis is all about being a shared experience, particularly if your aims are to live long and thrive. We keep emphasizing this notion of “community” or “belonging,” which is essentially what marijuana is all about: sharing stories, knowledge, experiences, and collaborating for common goals like quality of life.