Untangling the Web of Maria; On the Consequences of Chronic Cannabis Use

Jonathan Hadas Edwards 1 month ago 2 Comments

Join Jonathan Edwards on Monday, April 20, at Fire and Smoke, presented by
Evolver and Arborvitaes Herbal Imaginarium, in NYC, where he will talk about
the subject of marijuana from all angles. Learn more here.

Sweet seductress, balm for frayed nerves, scourge of the youth, inspiration in
a blossomCannabis is many things to many people. From dispensaries to
park benches, shes everywhere you turn these days, and love her or loathe
her, marijuanas enjoying a new golden age.

As a clinical herbalist whose love affair with the plants began with miss Mary
Jane, Ive had occasion lately to think about her nature, what she has to offer
and what she takes in return.

Make no mistake, shes sexy. Glossy magazines are devoted to the sight of
those technicolor buds. And the nose is no less seduced than the eyes: the
range and intensity of her aromas is astounding. Theres no doubt this is a
magic plant, a glamorous goddess who bestows upon her devotees the gift of
sensual delight.

Under her spell, time warps and dilates, hard edges blur; the senses are
heightened, and the door to another, mystic realm cracks open to offer a
tantalizing glimpse.

Touched by such wonder, we may return inspired to compose our own Kublai
Khan. And before long were apt to return to that magical space where
everything good seems enhanced.

For occasional use, perhaps this is all well and good so far. With regular
exposure, though, the magic tends to recede; theres more fog and less color.
Our goddess-lover grows indifferent, even cruel, showing us disfavor the
more we grovel at her feet. And where we had glimpsed the beyond through
a parted veil, the panes are now steamed up.

If we have come to her for inspiration, she may continue to supply the goods
for some time. But what we dont realize is that our own fuel is feeding the
creative blaze. Cannabis is no creative rocket fuelshes simply the switch
that pushes our own engines into overdrive. When the fuel runs out, the fire
dies down and so does our creative spree. We find weve burnt out.

From the energetic perspective of Chinese medicine, its the Liver organ
network that takes the bruntof burn-out. As the principle organ of the Wood
element, the Liver (capitalized to distinguish it from the strictly anatomical) is
responsible for flexibility, mobilization and circulation of resources (blood and
qi), the capacity to strategize and envision. Part of the syndrome of a burntout Liver is that weve flooded ourselves with vision (or actual visions) but
crippled our capacity to act on them. The Liver Yang necessary for execution
has gone up in smoke, and its not terribly easily replenished. At this point
continued use may result only in paranoia and disorientation: the dreaded
fear (as in, Oh %&#*, Im getting the fear!).

Sooner or later we come to know another side of Maria: shes sticky. She
sticks to our fingers and our bowls; she sticks to our lungs and she stick to
our souls. Shed really rather not let us go. She sticks in the subtle spaces of
our minds, gumming up the narrative threads of which our lives fabric is
woven. (What was I saying?)

With long term use, our linguistic and mnemonic capacities become warped.
We have trouble making certain distinctions, keeping things separate or
putting things together (like faces and names). We have trouble following the
thread. Were caught in Marias web.

Untangling the Web: Mugwort

Those seeking to clear up the fouled-up strands of weeds web need first of
all a firm intention, followed by some herbal aid.

Lets start with the most specific herb Im aware for antidoting cannabis:
Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris. Herbalist Julia Graves and Matthew Wood
mention this usage of mugwort, and I can verify from experience that it has a
powerful capacity to antidote the less desirable effects of marijuana.

In mugwort we have a wild and powerful female archetype equal and

opposite to that of marijuana. Where cannabis is heavy, mugwort is light;
where cannabis is cloudy, mugwort is clear.

Named after Artemis, mugwort has long been associated with witchcraft, that
is with the wisdom and wortcunning of women. It has a deserved reputation
for stimulating vivid dreams; it helps bring the light of the waking mind into
the nighttime realm. It also pulls the reverse trick, infusing waking life with
more of mystery and magic of the night. All in all, it is an herb of lucidity: an
ally for helping us tune into what author and dream-worker Paul Levy calls
the dream-like nature of reality.

Like many powerful medicines, mugwort is subtle. Only something suitably

subtle can penetrate deeply into the psyche, likewise into the liver and the
brain. There at the subtlest of levels, our huntress encounters the sticky
snarls that are cannabis legacy. And patently she sets to work smoothing,
untangling, unsticking. Slowly, slowly, like a crone at the spinning wheel, she
combs out the tangles. In doing so, she starts to restore our capacity for lucid
thought and lucid dreams. Behind all the fog, after all, the clear night nature
of the mind remains unsullied, unsulliable.

Though tea is a fit vehicle for this silvery queen amongst herbs, she shines as
a smoke. (And how different is her smoke from that of cannabis: rich but light
and clean, without any cloying stickiness.) Here Mugwort is supported by
lavender, mint, and a little white sage, all wonderfully light, fragrant, and
clarifying herbs.

Clarity Blend (for tea or smoke)

Mugwort leaf, Artemisia vulgaris. Use fine, wildcrafted leaf if possible.

Lavender blossoms, Lavendula angustifolia

Spearmint leaf, Mentha spicata

White Sage leaf, Salvia apiana (optional)

Long-time cannabis users may notice a slight but definite stoniness when
smoking this blend: you really feel the tangles when someone starts combing
them out. These folks can also expect a marked increase in dream activity,
which may have been suppressed by cannabis; its helpful to pay attention to
these medicine dreams as they can guide us along the path of healing.

The blend can also be mixed with cannabis to reduce some of its more
harmful effects. One anecdotal report so far suggests that the mugwort may
actually counteract the cannabis and make it difficult to become stoned, or at
least stoned in the way one may be accustomed to.

Other Prime Herbs of Clarity

Basil, rosemary, lavender and mint are herbs of clarity with an affinity for the
head and are our allies in recovering from chronic cannabis abuse. They can
be used as a hot infusion (tea), a tincture, in essential oil form, or in herbal
baths.

As tea, tulsi a.k.a. holy basil works better than does standard dried basil leaf,
and has beneficial qualities of its own including a special capacity to de-

obstruct the subtle channels and enhance mental function. Tulsi is rich in
prana and may enhance cerebral oxygenation. Ayurveda also recommends
brahmi or gotu kola as (largely interchangeable) herbs for supporting mental
function; combined with tulsi, they help direct its clearing function to the
brain, and tulsi and brahmi pair particularly well as a tea.

Rosemary is circulatory stimulant with a spicy resinousness that stokes the

metabolic fires and helps our micro-channels burn clean. Its been known for
centuries as an herb for the memory so its really indispensable for us here.

Mint has an opening, lifting quality that can help part the thick mists that
cannabis leaves us with.

Lavender is a natural cleanser, helpful for sticky resin-residue in our skulls,

and as a relaxing nervine can help take the edge off when we might
otherwise reach for the bubbler.

In their essential oil forms, rosemary, lavender, basil and mint can be applied
to the body and particularly to the head after 10:1 dilution in a neutral carrier
oil, such as almond or jojoba. Post bathing is a good time to anoint, or add
drops of the undiluted oils to your bathwater. A more direct method for taking
an herbal bath, and one that really draws on the subtle and spiritual aspects
of these herbs, is as follows. Rub the fresh leaves of a handful of basil,
rosemary, lavender and/or mint well in a bowl of water until the water takes
on strong color and aroma. Strain, and pour this water over your head and
body at the end of your regular shower. Dont rinse it off, and dry yourself
only gently to better absorb the effects. This herbal bathing is particularly
useful at the outset of the recovery process, as it sends a strong message to
yourself that you are charting a new course of clarity.

Calling on Saraswati

Ayurveda also brings us the traditional formula Saraswati Churna, a powdered

blend of nervine and tonic herbs named after the goddess of learning,
creativity and oral traditions. This is an excellent formula to consider for
anyone with pronounced mental fogginess or cognitive issues.

Rejuvenating the Subtle Fires

Fatty acids are the fuel for the subtle fires of consciousness, and the quality
of that flame depends on the quality of the fuel. Omega 3s are essential to
healthy cognition and, while they can be supplemented, they are best
obtained directly from a diet rich in whole, unrefined oils and fats from
healthy plants and animals.

Amongst the most potent allies in the fats department is ghee (clarified
butter) made from high-quality, pastured butter. Uniquely amongst oils, ghee
is both light and deeply nourishing. It enters the subtlest channels, clearing
them as it restores. Regular and generous intake of ghee may facilitate the
detox process while simultaneously nourishing the nervous system.

Another strong candidate for feeding and restoring the integrity of the
nervous system is hemp seed oil: its not only rich in the right kinds of fatty
acids, but theres a certain poetic justice in using the seed of the plant that
bit us. (Whether or not hempseed oil is actually specific for aiding in cannabis
detox remains in the realm of speculation, but I think its worth investigating.)

Putting the pieces together, our ideal healing agents for mental rejuvenation
may well be a medicated ghee or (hempseed oil) prepared with nervine
tropho-restorative herbs. Making herb-infused ghee at home requires only the
ghee, the herbs, a stove, some water, and a few hours (see Frawley and Lads
manual, The Yoga of Herbs, for instructions). Quality preparations are also
increasingly available commercially, though as with the ghee itself, homemade is best.

The following herbal mixture, loosely based on Saraswati Churna, provides an

excellent basis for an herbalized ghee or oil:

Ashwagandha 5 parts

Rosemary- 3 parts

Shankhapushpi (or substitute Skullcap) 3 parts

Calamus (known as Vacha in Ayurveda) 2 parts

Ginger 1 part

Restoring the Lungs

The lungs bear much of the brunt of chronic smoking of any kind, and
cannabis smoke is particularly damaging and carcinogenic. By the time they
reach later middle age, regular pot smokers tend to be notably grey in the
face, a sign of compromised respiratory function. Herbs can help here too,
typically a combination of soothing demulcents like licorice and marshmallow
root together with spicy, stimulating expectorants such as angelica, American
spikenard, and osha. Throw in some cardamom and fennel seeds and youve
got the basis for a lung-reviving formula (which should ideally be composed
to fit the individual case).

A Long Road

Rejuvenation, especially for long-time smokers, doesnt happen overnight.

Those burnt-out Livers take time to renew, and untangling sticky mindthreads is slow going as well. With a clear intention and consistent use of the
herbal tools outlined here, however, its possible to make steady progress
and eventually to reach the peak of clarity. Meanwhile, for those who dont
intend to break things off with Mary Jane, these herbs offer ways to mitigate
her less salubrious effects while still enjoying her gifts.