Frequently Asked Questions
Cannabis is the most beneficial plant on earth. It has been extensively used in Ayurveda for over 12,000 years with more than 200 recorded formulations for more than 50 diseases. This plant is believed to have originated in Himalayas and become the first crop cultivated by man. Cannabis is called as “Vijaya” in Sanskrit which means victory over diseases and is regarded as one of the 5 most essential plants as per Atharvana Veda. There are more than 25,000 known commercial applications for the cannabis plant. Till about a century back USA, China, Europe and other parts of the world were extensively using the Indian hemp as medicine for innumerable ailments. Cannabis is again undergoing rapid adoption globally for medical applications over the recent years in the wake of its legalisation. Cannabis is commonly known by several names such as ganja, marijuana, hemp, grass, weed, pot, Mary Jane, etc. Cannabis with less than 0.3% THC is called “hemp” while higher THC is called “marijuana”. The leaves of the cannabis plant are called “bhang”, the flower buds are called as “ganja” and the concentrated resin from hand rubbing the flowers is called “charas”.
About a century back, some powerful capitalists in the USA figured that cannabis posed a serious threat to their industries. The most powerful oil baron of all time wanted to replace natural medicines with synthetic medicines since the latter could be made from the petrochemicals waste residue after all the fuel was extracted. The best way to execute this plan was to realign the existing medical education system with synthetics as the only resort while undermining the natural plant medicines which were the norm back then. Synthetics can be patented and sold at high profits while plant-based medicines cannot. Till the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, cannabis (Indian hemp) was in vogue for medicine even in the USA that even the AMA (American Medical Association) had opposed the act. Besides the monopolistic interests in pharma, cannabis also adversely affected the oligopoly which controlled powerful industries such as paper, pulp, textile, metal, fuel, etc. because of the plant’s immense economic viability. For instance, 1 acre of 20 weeks old hemp crop can produce as much paper as 4 acres of 20 years old trees. Hemp fibres have 6 times the compressive strength of steel. Hemp has 95% feed-to-fuel efficiency. The 1937 bill was passed after the shortest vote in the history of the US senate (even till date) and then pushed globally through UN Single Convention (1961). Jack Herer’s book “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” (link) is an excellent resource that reveals the biggest and saddest trick pulled off on humanity. India resisted this for the longest time till the NDPS Act (1985) came into place which still allowed cannabis to be used for medical and research. Now, a century later the world is again rapidly adopting cannabis making it a $20 Bn industry globally with the medical cannabis valued at $8 Bn. In Dec 2020, 26 nations including India voted for the declassification of cannabis from Schedule IV at the UN thus heralding a global change in cannabis adoption especially for medical applications. Given the rapid proliferation in the west, one can expect cannabis-based products to be all over the place in India in the ensuing years in segments ranging from medical, CPG, FMCG, textile, construction, paper, pulp, plastics to maybe even fuel.
Synthetic medicines are artificial products (not naturally occurring) which are derived from petrochemicals. Other petrochemical products are plastics, soaps, detergents, pesticides, fertilizers, paints, etc. Most synthetic medicines will have just a couple of isolates (chemical compounds) at most since as the number of compounds increase, the predictability of the drug’s effects will decrease. These chemical compounds are mostly discovered from plants which worked on certain diseases. The most active compound of that plant is reproduced synthetically in the lab for clinical trials followed by mass production on completion of trials. Isolates will have harmful side effects on the body since all the other naturally occurring compounds that would have suppressed the side effects are missing in these synthetic formulations. Synthetics can be manufactured in tonnes anywhere anytime since they are not dependent on the vagaries of nature. Acids and bases are used as reagents and solvents during the manufacturing process which are then removed from the end product. But Ayurveda says that the effects of the extraction materials used to make a medicine will continue to remain in the final product even if all physical traces of the extraction materials have been completely removed. Hence, we have to take into consideration even all the materials used to create a particular medicine. Synthetics and western medicines are mostly known to address only the symptoms and not the root cause which can possibly lead to fatal implications when the realisation is too late. For example, a lot of people today get diagnosed directly with Stage 4 cancer (metastatic) since they were earlier just suppressing its symptoms (gastric issues, headaches, fatigue, pain, dizziness, etc.) using synthetics without even the remotest idea of the underlying insidious issues.
Cannabinoids are the alkaloids (compounds) from the cannabis plant’s leaves and flower buds. More than 100 cannabinoids have been discovered. Each of them has the potential to work on particular receptors in our body which in turn responds to particular ailments. CBD, CBG, CBN, CBL, THC, etc.. are some of the cannabinoids. There are also acids and varin forms such as CBDa and CBDv for CBD. Our body naturally produces cannabinoids called as “Endo-Cannabinoids” such as Anandamide, 2AG, etc. as part of the ECS (Endo-Cannabinoid System). The ECS is the most powerful system in the human body and yet surprisingly omitted from the conventional medical sciences textbooks. The ECS is akin to a master control switch that moderates all the major systems such as the endocrine (hormonal), immune, cardiovascular (circulatory), nervous, respiratory, digestive, muscular, reproductive, skeletal, urinary and integumentary. The ECS is regulated by the pineal gland which is one of the most sensitive organs in our body. Imbalances in our physical, mental and emotional states can adversely affect the pineal gland and in turn the endo-cannabinoid secretions. Anandamide is part of the innate immunity that is passed on from mother to child through breast milk. When our body does not secrete sufficient endo-cannabinoids it can result in various ailments in our body and mind. This deficiency can be compensated by consuming phyto-cannabinoids (cannabinoids produced by the cannabis plants) which works like a factory reset to bring the body back to homeostasis (balanced physical and chemical conditions internally). As per Ayurveda, health is all about the right balance – neither low (hypo) nor high (hyper).
CBD is a compound that is found in the cannabis plant. It stands for Cannabidiol and is among the 100+ cannabinoids found in the plant. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. There are still many more cannabinoids to be identified. Besides cannabinoids, there are also terpenoids (fragrance producing compounds) and flavonoids (flavour producing compounds) which have their own therapeutic applications. CBD can be isolated from the cannabis plant and can be also be synthesised chemically. Although chemically both extracts will be identical, they will not have the same effect on the human body. The human body is the most sophisticated factory in the world, and it can identify even the source of any drug we put into it. For example, the limonene made synthetically, derived from orange rind and cannabis – all the 3 have a significantly different effect on the human body (limonene is a powerful anti-cancer agent). An isolate from a natural source is more readily accepted and absorbed by the body than from an artificial source. Also, it behooves us to consume CBD along with all the other naturally occurring compounds in the plant to avoid any side effects through the “Entourage Effect”.
In order to understand “Entourage Effect” we first need to understand synergy. Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The entourage effect is where multiple cannabis compounds can result in a better outcome on the human body than the individual compounds. Isolates, be it derived from plants or synthesised in the lab, have harmful side effects on the body. These are called APIs (active pharmaceutical compounds). In Ayurveda, it was always recommended to give the plant extract as a whole. This is because the plant extract as a whole is able to offset the ill effects and amplify the positive effects of all the individual compounds. It is similar to what Aristotle meant with his quote “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Any synthetic medicine currently being sold will have just a couple of compounds at best. Hence the harmful side effects produced by the synthetic medicine cannot be effectively managed by the same medicine. Whereas a single plant extract has hundreds of active compounds occurring naturally with the divine technology to enable the entourage effect. This cannot be replicated synthetically since we do not even have the technology yet to exhaustively identify all the compounds present in a plant.
“Cure” means addressing the root cause. “Treat” means addressing the symptoms. “Heal” means addressing the entire system. Most modern medicine, if not all, treats the symptoms since the root causes are unknown. Ayurveda is a holistic medical science that understand the root cause and offers a wholesome remedy for the respective ailment. Hence, Ayurveda can effectively cure even several chronic and lifestyle diseases. Ayurveda has not been as effective as modern medicine over the past several decades in offering instant relief for the symptoms because Ayurveda was deprived of its most crucial ingredients – cannabis, datura and opium by restrictive regulations. Cannabis acts as potentiator or catalyst for the other herbs. For instance, if curcumin from turmeric has X effect on the body, this effect is compounded by 10X to 100X when cannabis is added to the turmeric and consumed. This allows the body to get an instant effect from the very first dose of a cannabis based Ayurvedic medicine thereby giving satisfactory relief from the symptoms while working in parallel at a fundamental level to address the clinical root cause. For example, chronic stress dramatically affects the hormonal secretions which in turn could result in cancer by impairing the immune response for apoptosis. Ayurvedic Cannabis can quickly modulate and balance the hormonal secretions by activating the ECS (endo cannabinoid system) which in turn induces apoptosis and destroys the cancerous tumour besides arresting proliferation in case of metastasis. The external circumstances causing the chronic stress may not be reversible but the medicine can neutralise the impact of this chronic stress on the body and mind. This intervention can get the patient quickly to a normal quality of life after which it would be relatively easier to consider lifestyle changes. A different take on the old adage is to first feed the hungry man and then teach him to fish. Only healing can offer a sustainable cure (without relapse, withdrawal, or dependency) where lifestyle change is mandatory. Practices like yoga, meditation, diet change, positive thinking, etc. can sustainably eliminate the chronic stress thereby healing the individual’s body, mind and spirit. Cannabis is a psychedelic; lifestyle diseases are mostly psychosomatic in nature and hence the need for medicines that can heal not just the body but also the mind. No medicine should be used for lifetime however chronic the condition maybe thereby necessitating the need for lifestyle change once the chronic condition has been placated.
The oldest medical use of cannabis is found in Ayurveda. Cannabis is considered “Visha” in Ayurveda which means poison. There are extensive Ayurvedic techniques to remove the poisonous elements of cannabis. “Shodhana” is one of the ways in which specific purification processes are employed while preparing Ayurvedic Cannabis medicines. From seed to sale, it is essential to keep the process as pristine as possible to reap maximum benefits. Natural sunlight imbues unimaginably more therapeutic properties in the medicinal herbs (or even vegetables or fruits for that matter) than those grown in indoor conditions with artificial lighting. Landrace (indigenous) or hybrid strains stand to offer safer results than GMO (genetically modified organisms) strains. Organic is logically better than inorganic where harmful chemicals in the pesticides, fertilisers, herbicides are replaced with naturally derived equivalents. Even a conscionable intent of the manufacturer can play a vital role especially when creating lifesaving medicines. In Ayurveda, cannabis has been predominantly formulated along with a host of other herbs which are essential to delivering a systematic cure. Since cannabis is a potentiator, it dramatically increases the effect (potency and efficacy) of the other herbs in the medicine. Our classical formulations have been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda and hence have stood the ultimate test of time. Turiya’s cannabis medicines contain full spectrum extracts with all the cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, THC, CBG, CBN besides their acids and varins) besides the terpenoids and flavonoids which are essential for the synergy of the entourage effect.
We are working on more than 130 indications and hence the list of diseases for which Ayurvedic Cannabis can offer tangible benefits is quite exhaustive. Turiya has concrete solutions for several physical, mental and emotional several disorders with special focus on chronic and lifestyle diseases for which conventional treatments are unable to help. Please reach out to our doctors with your concerns and they should be able to extend a wholesome solution from our portfolio – medicine (pharmaceutical), supplements (nutraceuticals) and services (diet and lifestyle counselling). Our medicines will help alleviate the primary ailment and also the allied diseases that come along with the primary issue since the root cause is usually the same. If one wishes to know how cannabis works for any particular ailment, they just to need to type the ailment and cannabis as keywords on google search and they can find a plethora of research articles that will articulate in detail the mode of action. NCBI (USA) is a reputed online source. Cannabis is the most researched plant in the world. In the next couple of years, cannabis will be a mainstream medicine globally and nationally rest assured given its rapid spate of liberalisation, proliferation and adoption. Cannabis will pave the way for the true green revolution.
Most of Turiya’s Ayurvedic Cannabis medicines are non-psychedelic and does not have the typical undesirable symptoms of THC such as palpitations, drowsiness, anxiety, panic, paranoia, hallucinations, co-ordination loss, dry mouth, etc. Since we have patients from toddlers to senior citizens and from all walks of life it is imperative to offer medicines that can be taken during the day as well besides permitting daily routine activities. The “trip” is not required for the cure. Please do have a detailed discussion with the prescribing doctor with respect to the nature of the medicine and how it can be seamlessly integrated with your normal course of life. Since the primary objective of our medicines is to get chronic and lifestyle patients to a normal quality of life, it would be counterproductive if some undesirable attributes of the individual ingredients get in the way of this objective. There are ways and means to remove the psychedelic effects of psychedelics while retaining only the therapeutic effects. Other psychedelics such as magic mushrooms, kava, ibogaine, salvia divinorum, kratom, DMT are being extensively researched globally for their significant impact on incurable diseases by public listed companies such as Atai Life Sciences, Compass Pathways, Mindmed, Cybin, 20/20 Global Inc, Numinus Wellness, etc. Even Pfizer has now acquired Arena pharmaceuticals for the latter’s advancements in cannabinoid drugs with $6.7 Bn.
Typically synthetics have a uniform relation between dose and effect. As the dose increases the effect increases. Plant based medicines usually exhibit a phenomenon called as “Biphasic Effect” where the dose vs effect chart called the response curve resembles a mountain. When the dose increases initially the effect increases, then peaks and then starts decreasing. For any given individual the dosage response depends on several factors such as age, gender, body weight, diet, metabolism, underlying physical & mental conditions. This is primarily because there are hundreds of compounds at work here as compared to synthetics. Hence the effect cannot be as specific as the outcome of say paracetamol 500mg to a given individual but instead doctors rely on a certain range of recommended dosage for Ayurvedic cannabis. By paying attention to the symptomatic responses, it is easy for even the consumer to identify the sweet spot for Ayurvedic cannabis dosing. Beyond the peak dosage the effects decrease with increase in dosage and this biphasic effect of Ayurvedic cannabis disallows the consumer from abusing the medicine to get higher effects or overdosing on it. Overdosing is a lethal concern in synthetics for pain, stress and sleep disorders. The number of people in the history of mankind who have overdosed and died on marijuana is 0. Our doctors can support the patient in optimising the dosage so that the best effects are realised in a shorter span of time.
In 2003, Rick Simpson (Canada) was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma. He researched about the healing potential of cannabis and extracted the oil from the plant to apply on his skin. The cancerous growths on his arm disappeared in less than a week. Seeing the wondrous effects of the plant, Rick began popularising his method of extracting cannabis oil for use in cancer as oral and topical medicine. This extract came to be known as RSO and is a full spectrum extract. A full spectrum extract contains all the natural occurring cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids of the cannabis plant. A broad spectrum extract is a full spectrum extract where the THC has been removed. RSO is similar to crude oil from alcohol or CO2 extraction and will not have any carrier oil. Carrier oils increase the bioavailability of the cannabis mixed in it and hence the body is able to readily absorb the active ingredients.
Plant based medicines are safer than synthetics thanks to entourage and biphasic effects as explained earlier. The best part about a plant-based medicine is that if the symptoms are getting treated then in all likelihood the root cause is also being addressed in parallel. Turiya’s medicines, supplements and services (diet and lifestyle counselling) are aimed at delivering sustainable remedies without any relapse, withdrawal and dependency. No medicines should be taken for life even for chronic conditions. Our aim is to address the areas of concern in a relatively shorter period of time with the concerned medicines and supplements to deliver a normal quality of life for those with chronic and lifestyle diseases. We then recommend the necessary diet and lifestyle changes to maintain a healthy and fulfilling life. Would any of your western medicine doctors like a taste of their own medicines (pun intended)? Well, our doctors would not mind since there are no harmful side effects from our Ayurvedic cannabis medicine. The fact that our team and family members consume Turiya medicines for their own ailments is the best testimonial of our conviction on the quality of our medicines.
Tuirya’s journey began when the founder (Daniel Rishi) cured his mother with medical cannabis from Stage 4 cancer when all conventional treatments (mastectomy, chemo, radiation) had failed. It was quite startling for him to realise that he could achieve this herculean feat with something so elementary as compared to even the best of knowledge, advancements and facilities of western medicine. Since then, he has been working relentlessly to save other lives with medical cannabis. We have the privilege of working with a magical plant that holds the key to many of the problems that we face today. Our mission is to heal humanity, and this undoubtedly requires our absolute attention and utmost dedication. The founders are engineers with an unparalleled and far overreaching understanding of the human body and mind. And we love to engineer the cure. Since we leave no stone unturned, we have taken a “best-of-breed” approach to create unprecedented remedies by leveraging traditional and modern sciences. Ayurveda forms the foundation of our formulations. After plunging headlong into the medical sciences, we have come to the startling realisation that what is modern is not necessarily advanced. Our rishis of yore had heightened states of consciousness which allowed them to intuitively arrive at answers which our most advanced microscopes and telescopes are still failing to deduce. Besides Ayurveda, we explore and integrate the best aspects from other streams of medicines – Allopathy (pharmacodynamics), Yoga (chakras), Siddha (bhasmas), Homeopathy (microdosing), Naturopathy (lifestyle changes), Aromatherapy (concentrated tinctures) and Indian folk medicine (rare curated herbs). We can assure you of the efficacy and potency of our medicines for your respective ailments and as a guarantee of our assurance we are happy to refund if you do not find the medicine to be satisfactory.
We have specialised doctors on board who have an excellent understanding of the Endo-cannabinoid system. They have considerable experience in prescribing Ayurvedic cannabis medicines and better understanding of the subtler nuances of its effects on different individual for different ailments. Our doctors can offer an integrated approach of medicine, diet, mindfulness and lifestyle changes that can help with a sustainable solution without any dependency, relapse or withdrawal symptoms. They patiently understand the uniqueness of every individual and what ails him or her before extending support to heal them. Our doctors are eager to educate the patients about their ailments, root causes, diagnosis, pathophysiology, discontinuing synthetics, contraindications, etc. since knowledge dissemination is integral to our journey. It is vital for individuals to better understand their ailments and consciously strive to address it rather than blindly popping pills. Our body is a temple and needs to be treated with absolute reverence since without a healthy body we cannot possibly have a healthy mind and in turn a happy life. Please fill up the form on the consultation tab and we will align a prompt call from our doctor panel.
For our cannabis medicines that require a prescription, you can directly add the desired product and checkout if you already possess the concerned prescription. If not, then you can avail doctor consultation through our website and then proceed with purchase once the prescription is obtained. We have expedited air shipping for our products across India. Tracking details are shared against the respective orders. We have an active customer support team that can assist you at any point in time before, during and after the sale. Please feel free to reach out to us for any support.
Pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits, etc… are prone to a lot of diseases that human beings are prone to including auto-immune disorders which are usually associated with unhealthy lifestyles. Our pets might not get sufficient exercise, sunlight and nutrition despite our best intentions. Preserved foods result in imbalanced diet as well as harmful toxins thereby compromising their immune system. Besides physical challenges such as cancer, arthritis, indigestion, pain, weak bones, etc… pets also face mental and emotional challenges such as stress, tension, anxiety, fear (phobia), depression, insecurity, etc… All animals on earth except insects have the Endo Cannabinoid system and hence Ayurvedic Cannabis can do wonders for their ailments too.
In India, cannabis is legal for medical and research purposes under the NDPS Act, 1985. Turiya’s cannabis medicines are approved by AYUSH, Ministry of India and can be sold across India. We have the necessary approvals from Excise Department as well as NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) notification. Presently, only Ayurvedic Cannabis medicines (Vijaya) have a clear legality in India with an authorised drug license number that is issued. This recent news has reaffirmed the country’s stand on cannabis for medical use (link). CBD oil does not fall under the purview of AYUSH and is yet to be recognised by the government bodies such CDSCO (pharmaceutical) or FSSAI (nutraceutical). Please do not carry cannabis medicines outside of India even with a prescription in hand since several countries are yet to legalise cannabis even for medical purposes.