The Cannabis State of Mind: Exploring Cannabis Indica & Sativa in Heilkunst Homeopathy

A Brief History of Cannabis in Canada and the World Cannabis has long had a complex and storied role in human history for over 27,000 years. In Canada, the first known acceptance of Cannabis came in 1897 through the Nova Scotia Medical Association, although its use among Indigenous peoples dates back to the 1600s. Hemp was utilized for tools, clothing, and commerce, traded widely for its practical and medicinal value. However, with the introduction of the 1908 Opium Act and later amendments, including Cannabis in 1923, the plant became entangled in political, racial, and moral narratives that led to its prohibition. By 1937, the first cannabis-related offense was recorded, and by 1961 it was classified as a Schedule 1 drug.

The 1960s saw a dramatic rise in cannabis use, coinciding with global upheaval — wars, political assassinations, the civil rights movement, Woodstock, and a surge in creative and musical expression. Cannabis became both a symbol of countercultural freedom and a scapegoat for governmental control. Despite its criminalization, its popularity grew, eventually leading to its reintroduction into medicinal use in 2000, and full legalization for adult recreational use in Canada in 2018.

Cannabis Botany and Therapeutic Chemistry Botanically, Cannabis belongs to the Cannabaceae family, alongside hops and hackberries. Its two primary species — Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica — along with the rare subspecies Cannabis ruderalis, are known for producing over 100 cannabinoids, including the well-known THC and CBD. The female plants, rich in resin-producing trichomes, are preferred for medicinal use. These trichomes contain terpenes and cannabinoids responsible for both psychoactive and therapeutic effects.

Each species offers a distinct energetic signature: Sativa is associated with euphoria, stimulation, and mental focus (often leading to racing thoughts or anxiety when overused), while Indica is more calming and grounding, known for its use in sleep, pain relief, and deep relaxation. Beyond physical effects, these patterns speak volumes to the state of mind one inhabits, or attempts to escape from, when using the plant.

Ancient and Cross-Cultural Uses of Cannabis The plant's sacred and medicinal history spans thousands of years across continents. Ancient Asian, African, and European cultures used cannabis for ritual, healing, and nourishment. The Scythians, Greeks, Egyptians, and eventually the Vikings transported seeds and knowledge across land and sea. Cannabis was even once praised in royal medicine, used to treat conditions like rheumatism, melancholy, and malaria.

Modern Forms of Consumption and Their Impacts As its use expanded, so did its forms of consumption. From tinctures and teas to smoking, vaping, edibles, topicals, and modern pharmaceutical applications, cannabis has taken on new roles in both medicine and recreation. While CBD-based products offer a non-psychoactive route to healing inflammation, pain, and anxiety, THC-rich varieties require greater discernment — particularly for those already vulnerable to spiritual dissociation or energetic overstimulation.

Long-term or excessive use of cannabis can lead to a range of challenges: apathy, paranoia, memory loss, and disconnection from one's true self. It can amplify the false ego or fragment the spiritual body, creating difficulty with grounded action despite creative or visionary ideation. In essence, it can both illuminate and cloud the generative power.

Cannabis in Homeopathy Cannabis can also be used in homeopathic remedy form to address a wide range of conditions that mirror its energetic signature — including dissociation, altered states of perception, racing thoughts, depersonalization, paranoia, hypersensitivity, insomnia, and more. In homeopathy, we match the remedy to the individual's state — physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual — and Cannabis remedies offer profound insight into the psyche’s attempt to process overwhelm. These remedies do not act through chemical interaction, but rather through energetic resonance. Their purpose is to help gently release the distorted imprint and guide the person back to coherence.

The use of Cannabis indica or Cannabis sativa in homeopathy is not based on whether a person has used the plant, but whether they are currently embodying a state that matches the remedy picture. That state might emerge from trauma, inherited patterns, or prolonged stress that pushes the psyche into fragmentation or hyper-awareness.

Cannabis Indica vs. Cannabis Sativa in Homeopathy Whereas Cannabis indica tends to plunge the patient inward — intensifying internal sensations, dreamlike distortions, and a sense of floating disconnection — Cannabis sativa often radiates outward, sharpening thought processes to an almost unbearable degree, stimulating manic ideation, paranoia, or an exaggerated awareness of time and space. Each offers a unique window into the soul’s dance with reality — one dissolving it, the other hyper-defining it.

Cannabis indica is often used for individuals who feel spiritually unmoored, mentally scattered, or afraid they may lose their sanity. It is particularly useful in cases where the person feels as though they are leaving their body, or that time is suspended. Cannabis sativa, by contrast, may be indicated for those whose overactive mental states feel invasive, overwhelming, or disconnected from grounding reality — the kind of rapid-fire, grandiose thinking that can create panic or exhaustion.

Homeopathic Cannabis and Ideogenic Disease In Heilkunst Homeopathy, Cannabis is used as a remedy to treat what are called "ideogenic" diseases — those rooted in fixed beliefs, illusions, and delusions that distort perception and steer one's life off course. These are not fleeting thoughts but deeply held convictions that shape how a person interprets the world — often mistaking their beliefs for truth. From this realm, the highest forms of disease emerge — spiritual in nature and rooted in the soul’s misalignment with reality.

Embodiment of the Cannabis State Without Use It’s important to understand that a person does not need to have consumed Cannabis to be affected by what we call a Cannabis-disease state. In homeopathy, we speak of the embodiment — both physical and psychological — of a state that mirrors the remedy’s picture, regardless of exposure. That said, if someone has consumed Cannabis, especially in significant amounts or over time, they are far more likely to develop this state. Even natural substances, when taken in excess, can overwhelm the system — creating a kind of toxic imprint that lodges itself within the generative (restorative) power. In such cases, the homeopathic remedy Cannabis indica or sativa may be needed not to suppress symptoms, but to release the pattern and restore inner coherence.

Addiction and Trauma: A Deeper Homeopathic View In cases of addiction, Heilkunst understands the compulsion not as the root problem, but as a resonant expression of deeper, unresolved trauma — what we call disease layers. Every addictive pattern is meaningful; there is always a reason someone is drawn to a particular substance or behavior. Rather than targeting the addiction itself, we focus on dissolving the underlying resonance that binds the individual to it. As the true cause is removed, the addictive pull often fades naturally. Patients commonly report, “It just doesn’t taste the same anymore,” or “I simply don’t want it.” They are no longer caught in the grip of craving — not through willpower, but through liberation. This transformation requires a truly holistic approach. In Heilkunst, we address three core pillars of health restoration: nutrition and lifestyle, homeopathic medicine to treat trauma, and therapeutic education to support conscious awareness.

Cannabis Remedies in Heilkunst: Intention and Resonance This is why the intention behind cannabis use matters. In homeopathy, it is the resonance that matters more than the substance. Through the lens of Heilkunst, the remedy form of cannabis doesn’t aim to block or moralize its use, but rather to meet and resolve the resonance that may have taken root — whether through consumption, generational imprint, or trauma.

If the symptoms match, Cannabis indica or sativa can be used to gently restore coherence where perception has fractured. It is a remedy for states of mind that have become untethered — not to suppress those states, but to bring the soul back into alignment with truth.

Want to Learn More? Download our full guide: "The Cannabis State of Mind PDF Companion" found in the free Dynamis Library— an in-depth look at the historical, clinical, botanical, and spiritual dimensions of Cannabis, including when and how it may be used in herbal form & homeopathic treatment.

Natalie Friese

Natalie Friese is a Naturopath and Doctor of Medical Heilkunst, as well as the founder of The Dynamis Institute. With a deep commitment to conscious healing, she empowers individuals and families to reclaim health sovereignty through a principled system of natural medicine, homeopathy, and mind-body mentorship. Natalie works virtually with clients around the world, guiding them to dissolve fear, restore vitality, and reconnect with their innate creative power.

https://www.thedynamisinstitute.com/work-with-me

Catherine Bradley

Catherine Bradley is a Doctor of Medical and Animal Heilkunst with a virtual and home-based practice in the Niagara Region. She provides holistic, root-cause care to individuals and animals alike, blending Heilkunst and Anthroposophy to address the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of health. With a background in mental health, addictions, and special needs, she brings a compassionate and insightful approach to healing. Catherine also offers workshops, speaks publicly, and contributes to collaborative writing projects on natural health.

www.bradleyheilkunst.com