Sri Lanka, or in English, ” Resplendent Isle ” is indeed a real paradise. Incredible beaches, dramatic hills and deep jungle are the backdrop to an amazingly compact and diverse ecology second to none.
Cannabis is but one of a huge variety of crops grown on the island. Home to some of the world’s best tea and spice varieties anywhere, it’s natural that cannabis thrives there.
This plant and its seeds were gathered in 1977 during one of many visits to this beautiful place. They’ve been inbred for several generations indoors to produce the most consistent and pleasing smoke. Flower times have been set at around 12-14 weeks, with LED cutting a week or more from the times.
In Sri Lanka currently, Arurvedic herbal shops sell generally poor quality bhang, usually obtained by police raids on illegal grows. By the time legal shops get the materials seized by police, the quality is pretty poor. Tinctures and extraction are also offered, all as medicine. The plant itself is known by the name ” Kansa ” and its buds and flowers are referred to as “ganja”.
Cannabis was traded by Arabs along the southern route of The Silk Road as early as the 13th century. Hemp in Sri Lanka is first mentioned by the Portuguese, but little being locally cultivated by these accounts. The Dutch declared all cannabis plants and products from it as illegal in 1675.
With the arrival of the British in the 18th century, new laws were enacted both criminally and regulatory. Cultivation was tolerated, but under Imperial licensing was tightly controlled. In recent years, medical cannabis has had limited success and scope, reflecting what is seen in many countries today.
The area around the area where the seeds were collected, in the central province, is the source of this acceession.
Rich, fertile soils are the highlight of this whole region, with lush hills and hidden valleys abounding. The tradition of cannabis runs deep in Sinhalese culture and this area is the home of that tradition.
There are several terms traceable in Sanskrit scholarship which prove this traditional use.
The plant has many references in the ancient literature, for example, Virapat or “hero leafed “, capta or ” light hearted “, Ananda or ” bliss ” and our favorite, trilok kamaya or “desired in three worlds “. These terms and others recall long and deep cultural traditions dating back millennia.
To truly experience and enjoy these plants it should be remembered just how long a road has led to this current time when it is possible again to experience what our ancestors intended. Joy, knowledge and contentment are timeless and universal ideas which cannabis has assisted in man for centuries. Sri Lanka is another reference to that rich history and legacy.