How to Use Cannabis Like a Witch

Despite a constant presence in pop culture, and an emerging one in our current dichotomy, people who practice witchcraft are still pretty misunderstood. Craft, or witchcraft, extends to all parts of a life well lived and many of the medicinal and grooming rituals we hold dear today are founded in the larger body of spiritual and earthbound knowledge that used to get you tied to a stake. In North America, the judgement and potential for state sanctioned torture is less common now. And thank goodness for that, because using cannabis for its multiple modalities of healing and socializing is much more witchy than you may think.

For some witches, a smoke a day keeps the bad witch at bay. For others, cannabis is a healing substance whose prohibition adds to the mystical effects of its powers. Plenty of witchy-leaning people lean all the way into the world of cannabis and incorporate it into their daily lives and rituals—either medicinal, recreational, or both.

Some witches spark up after house cleaning and during a good smudge sesh, leaving the air refreshed and ready for creativity or relaxation. Many keep palo santo on hand too. But every good witch has an altar outfitted with fine accessories, right down to a stylish lighter, adding a spot of intention to the seemingly mundane, but truly miraculous act of lighting a flame.

"I find it works very well as a touchstone during the grounding parts of my ritual. It helps me get back into my body comfortably."

For help with potioncraft, using high tech devices to prepare your cannabis-based concoctions can only help to control things like dose. Something like the Levo Oil Infuser can do more than wrest THC and CBD from flower—it controls the temperature, making extracting other herbs and plants that may not need the same processing time as cannabis a bewitching snap. Or you can take a more hands-on approach: Blend in some herbs, infuse your own butter—how you brew is up to you.

“How I use cannabis in ritual depends on how I'm using it medicinally. Its effects differ depending on if I'm using it daily or rarely. When I am taking it regularly for anxiety or pain, I find it works very well as a touchstone during the grounding parts of my ritual. It helps me get back into my body comfortably, and leads nicely into a sacred snack," says Max Schriever, a cannabis-friendly witch.

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"When I haven't had cannabis in a while, it can be better suited to raising energy or guiding visions. I especially enjoy smoking as part of a group ritual, because I think it lends itself well to increasing social cohesion and creative participation." Schriever also loves kitchen witchery, crafting edibles, and often includes emulsified cannabis extracts in teas alongside other magical herbal smoking mixtures.

Many practitioners incorporate cannabis as a healing herb, and that is where the magic lies. A CBD restorative skin balm can soften skin that is too dry for basic lotion. If potioncraft is not your strength, a facial serum and its cocktail of hydrating and super effective ingredients like hyaluronic acid, CBD and vitamin B3 might do just the trick.

"Plant magic is awesomely powerful, and I'm constantly learning new ways to interact with these allies," says Schriever.