From India to Bangladesh to Nepal, ganja has been established as an essential medicine across South Asia for thousands of years, and it has long been of major significance in religions like Hinduism and Sikhism. But after British colonization, the role of ganja changed drastically for citizens of the Indian subcontinent, and those who hail from South Asia, known as the Desi community.

In this episode, Brit talks to Chirali Patel Esq. and Yogi Maharaj, co-founders of the Desi Cannabis Collective, to understand how cannabis is received in today’s South Asian families, how colonization changed the perception of weed, and what the future looks like for the relationship between the Desi community and the sacred ganja plant. Find out more on Instagram @desicannabiscollective

Follow us on social media @differentleaf and @different_leaf and follow host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish. Find all issues of Different Leaf the quarterly cannabis journal at DifferentLeaf.com, or find your nearest bookstore or dispensary selling the latest magazine issue at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand