Cannabis and Shilajit — Himalayan Wonder-Substance or Cannabinoid Amplifier?
Many mystical things have emerged from the icy, towering Himalayan Mountains of the East. From the eerie chanting of Tibetan monks to legends of the Yeti, the Himalayas are known as a place of deep, inaccessible truths and secret treasures of immeasurable value hidden in the fertile darkness.
Down in the fertile snowmelt valleys of Central and Northern India, Cannabis sativa flourished and made its way throughout most of the world. Sequestered deep in the unclimbable peaks of the inner Himalayas, however, an even danker mystery was brewing. Spoken of in reverent tones by the locals, the magically restorative rock-sap known as shilajit would be fated to intertwine with cannabis in the most unexpectedly fascinating ways.
In life, there is great power. The relentlessly cascading rays of the sun give life to all Earth, and this seemingly limitless source of golden energy has held a central role in the psyche since preverbal times.
So too, however, is there power in death. As cannabis plants happily proliferated like weeds in the jungle valleys below, shilajit slowly decomposed in the deepest heights, unreached by any ray of the sun and locked in bitter cold.
What is Himalayan shilajit?
Shilajit is a decomposed substance found primarily in the Himalayas. Ironically similar to crude oil, shilajit will forever be in short supply since it’s only attainable through the centuries-long decomposition of plant material with the help of specific microorganisms.
In composition, however, shilajit is nothing like a petrochemical. According to a 2012 academic paper published in the International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, shilajit “is composed mainly of humic substances, including fulvic acid, that account for around 60% to 80% of the total nutraceutical compound” as well as additional minor components like selenium.
The paper goes on to relate that fulvic acid, which is “well absorbed in the intestinal tract and eliminated within hours from the body,” “is known by its strong antioxidant actions.” In other words, shilajit is mainly fulvic acid, and fulvic acid is a strong antioxidant.
What does shilajit do for the body?
Shilajit is traditionally used in ayurvedic medicine as a rasayana substance. Accordingly, shilajit is believed to provide rejuvenating, anti-aging properties that increase longevity and help with age-related conditions.
As a result, modern investigations into shilajit have mainly focused on this substance’s ability to help with age-related neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Most interestingly for our purposes, shilajit is known in India as a yogavaha, a “synergistic enhancer of other drugs.”
Here’s a full list of additional conditions for which the benefits of shilajit have been investigated:
- Oxidative stress
- Inflammation
- Cognition
- Memory
- Diabetes
- Anxiety
- Allergies
- Immunity
- Pain
- Fungal infections
- Drug synergy
- Altitude sickness
To the international medical and pharmacological community, shilajit is most interesting due to its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists continue to lean toward the idea that the vast majority of diseases might have their origin in inflammation, making oxidative stress and related inflammation a major contemporary target of natural therapy research.
Shilajit isn’t the only source of fulvic acid, but it is certainly the Earth’s most abundant source of this potent antioxidant. Just as THC is only the beginning of the story when it comes to cannabis, however, fulvic acid is only the tip of the iceberg for shilajit.
Can I use shilajit and cannabis together?
Yes, you can. What’s more, we believe you should.
As always, consult with a doctor before using cannabis, shilajit, or any other new substances. We never offer medical advice at Secret Nature, just friendly suggestions based on our own experience.
Shilajit, cannabis, or both substances might not be right for you. If the three parties are a good match, however, your brain, cannabis, and shilajit will manifest an unprecedented trifecta of neuro-mystical synergy that verges on escaping the limits of scientific knowledge.
What are the effects of combining cannabinoids and shilajit?
There are a few different substances that boost cannabinoids. Other cannabinoids, first of all, increase the potency of a single cannabinoid isolated on its own, and terpenes boost the effects of cannabinoids whether alone or combined in broad-spectrum or full-spectrum cannabis extracts.
Cannabis isn’t an island. There’s a whole world of terpene-bearing plants out there, and shilajit takes things one step further by offering these plants in a deeply decomposed, rich form.
We’re still awaiting academic research into the benefits of shilajit and cannabis when combined. Scientific theory and anecdotal testimony, however, indicate that using these two substances in harmony may unlock greater cannabinoid intensity and duration.
For the last few years, cannabis and hemp producers have started cautiously including shilajit in their cannabinoid-infused products. Secret Nature was one of the first cannabinoid producers to grasp the potential of shilajit, and pure Himalayan shilajit resin remains a core component of Secret Nature REM Organic Hemp Flower Nectar Drops.
According to High Times, habitual cannabis users report only needing half their usual cannabis dose after consuming shilajit resin. This anecdotal testimony is far from hard science, but it’s clear that this new entry to the cannabis market’s ingredient library is making a big splash.
Essentially, many cannabis users believe that shilajit increases the effects they experience when using cannabinoids. Put another way, this natural, ancient substance appears to reduce the concentration of cannabinoids required to deliver the expected effects.
Cannabinoid tolerance is a serious issue facing many cannabis users. If it’s true that shilajit boosts the effectiveness of cannabinoids without a relative dosage increase, this Himalayan wonder-substance could help counter cannabis tolerance and improve the experience of using cannabinoids all at once.
How do I use cannabis and shilajit together?
There are a few different ways you can use the cannabinoids present in cannabis with shilajit:
1. Enjoy a shilajit drink while you vape cannabis concentrate
In resin form, shilajit easily dissolves in water, and it usually disperses pretty regularly. While you sip on your somewhat bitter shilajit beverage, puff on a tasty Secret Nature vape cartridge to improve the flavor in your mouth while slowly letting your orally ingested shilajit catch up with the effects of your inhaled cannabinoids.
2. Combine shilajit and cannabis in some delicious edibles
Shilajit might be particularly well-paired with cannabis edibles. Butter and other common baking ingredients already contain phospholipids, but the additional lipids in shilajit will encapsulate the cannabinoids in your edibles and improve their absorption.
Use the Secret Nature homemade CBD oil guide to produce some organic CBD concentrate in your own kitchen, then add 2g of shilajit resin for every cup of finished CBD oil. Your edibles will come out delicious and super-effective.
3. Spare all the mess and ingest shilajit and cannabinoids in a single tincture
While they sound fun and effective, the two options we listed above also seem somewhat complicated or time-intensive. If you’d rather skip all the fuss and just enjoy the effects of cannabinoids combined with shilajit in a premade product, Secret Nature has the answer for you.
Secret Nature REM Organic Hemp Flower Nectar Drops combine shilajit with CBD, other minor cannabinoids, black seed oil, cannabis terpenes, and other organic ingredients in a simple, attractive bottle. With a carrier of organic hemp seed oil and THC concentrations under 0.3%, this product is available online and ships to all 50 states.
Cannabis & shilajit FAQ
The subject of shilajit and cannabis is endlessly fascinating. Let’s wrap things up with answers to a couple of common questions:
What other ways can you boost the effects of cannabinoids?
Cannabis isn’t the only plant with terpenes, but regardless of where they’re from, terpenes appear to boost the effects of cannabinoids. As a result, ingesting foods like mangoes, plants like hops, or spices like black pepper might improve the effects and potency of cannabis products.
Cardiovascular exercise also helps your brain process cannabinoids better. For the best of all worlds, take a brisk walk around the block, eat a mango, drink a beer, eat a meal spiced with black pepper, and take some shilajit before the next time you use cannabinoids.
Who should not take shilajit?
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the safety of shilajit. In Indian medicine, products thought safe often turn out to be dangerous, so it’s right to be a little cautious before using shilajit.
When properly purified, however, no serious side effects of shilajit have been found. Consult with your doctor if you have any concerns about using either shilajit or cannabinoids.
