Spiritual Benefit from Cannabis.
Frederick J. Heide, Tai Chang, Natalie Porter, Eric Edelson, Joseph C Walloch
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2021.1941443 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSpiritual benefit from cannabis is reported by two-thirds of a large online sample, with only 5.5% finding it a spiritual hindrance. Those who experienced spiritual benefit were distinguished from those who did not primarily by expansiveness motivation, non-theistic daily spiritual experience, meditation frequency, and certain mindfulness facets. The majority (63%) showed no cannabis use disorder; this non-disordered group was older and scored lower on experiential avoidance, psychological distress, and several motives for use. Spiritual motives for cannabis appear widespread among contemporary adults.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,087 |
| Population | Adults who completed an online survey about cannabis and other substance use |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Psychedelic Spiritual benefit Spirituality |
| Key finding | Spiritual benefit from cannabis was reported by 66.1% of the sample, and those who reported it differed significantly from those who did not on expansiveness motivation, non-theistic daily spiritual experience, meditation frequency, and mindfulness facets. |
Abstract
Like many mind-altering plants, cannabis has been part of spiritual practices for thousands of years. It has deep roots in Hinduism, Islam, Rastafarianism, and indigenous traditions in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere. Yet almost no attention has been given to how contemporary adults employ it spiritually. A sample of 1087 participants (mean age = 38.9) completed an online survey assessing their use of cannabis and other substances, as well as spiritual and psychological characteristics. Spiritual benefit from cannabis was reported by 66.1% of the sample, and 5.5% reported it had sometimes been a spiritual hindrance. A MANOVA showed that those who reported spiritual benefit differed significantly from those who did not on several outcome variables, and a post hoc descriptive discriminant analysis revealed that expansiveness motivation, non-theistic daily spiritual experience, meditation frequency, and two mindfulness facets contributed most to differentiating the two groups. The majority of the sample (63%) was free of cannabis use disorder. Compared to disordered groups, the non-disordered group was significantly older and scored lower on experiential avoidance, psychological distress, and several motives for use. Results suggest that spiritual motives for cannabis use may be widespread. Implications for future research on spiritual use of cannabis are discussed.