Willy Wonka is alive and working in California. He is also pissed off at how weak and shitty-tasting most marijuana edibles are these days.

That is the best explanation we could come up with for the emergence of new “Shiva Candy.”

The first time we saw these little candies, we wondered how many we would have to eat to get a full dose of medicine. We also wondered why everyone was speaking of these candies as if they were manna. In one hour, the truth was revealed. Within two hours, we had deduced that Willy Wonka was a real man and that he was the only one who could have produced such compact compassion.

Shiva Candies are made of hashish instead of cannabis oil or butter. This allows a nice concentration of medicine in a tiny toffee. The use of hashish also avoids that plant material aftertaste so often found in medicinal edibles. Even the texture is great. And Shiva Candy is individually wrapped and sealed in a baggy - perfect for travel. At $8 a pop, they are a great value all around.

For those who wonder whether the name might be offensive to Hindus, don’t worry. This is not blasphemy the way ‘prerolled Jesus Joints’ might be. Shiva has a deep connection to cannabis.

Shiva and cannabis

Shiva is the oldest known godhead figure in the world. Devotees of Shiva sometimes meditate by drinking a milk and cannabis mixture prepared by priests (Bhang). Sadhus and other devotees endlessly walk around India searching for the spiritual oneness with Shiva. These Sadhus also smoke ‘Charas’ and ‘ganja’ from chillums.

It is widely accepted amongst Hindus that Shiva takes Bhang. What’s disputed is the consumption of it by ordinary mortals. Most Hindus do not know their ancestors used to take cannabis whenever they saw fit. Consumption of Bhang wasn’t always reserved for the Gods and holy days. In fact, not so long ago it was considered an insult to refuse Bhang. I believe this change occurred no earlier than 1900, after the Indian Hemp Commission’s report was released in the late 1800s.

Bhang is also considered a sister of the Mother Ganges (a holy river and a Goddess in India). There are many songs which start off: “Gang Bhang Dono Bhen Hai, Rehti Shivji Ki Sang. Charan Karne KI Gang Hai, Bhajan Karne Ki Bhang.” Roughly translated this means the Ganges and Bhang (cannabis) are sisters and both live in Shiva’s head. The water from the Ganges is poured over a Shivalingam (a form of Shiva in the guise of a phallus shaped black stone) at a Temple and Bhang is consumed by the devotee so they can mediate, be better able to sing hymns, achieve a blissful state and be like Shiva.

Another often forgotten subject is Soma. This is the Nectar of the Gods mentioned in one of the oldest Hindu scriptures, ‘The Rig Veda’. Soma is said to be cannabis in some writings but some people dismiss this idea. I think that Soma is just an ancient name for Bhang. Bhang is made using cannabis leaves and milk, almonds, rose water and various other items. Bhang is also used as a word to describe the actual cannabis plant in some parts of India. In short it appears that the ancient Vedic Hindus knew how to extract THC from the cannabis plant using milk. Soma is one of the oldest intoxicants known to man.

Many Hindus are unaware of the significance of cannabis to Shiva. They seem to know that Bhang was Holy and relevant to Shiva but a lot of people did not know that Bhang contained cannabis. Cannabis use is stigmatised by Hindu’s the world over but if you ask real priests in India about its position compared to alcohol they will tell you that cannabis and only cannabis is acceptable to a Hindu, and priests are only allowed Bhang and Ganja but not allowed alcohol.

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