For a long time, Cannabis was so internationally persecuted that it was not safe to talk about traditional Jewish use. As if we didn’t have enough trouble, without being associated with Hashashin!
That was not even so long ago. Cannabis Chassidis: The Ancient and Emerging Torah of Drugs was initially published anonymously and privately to avoid the danger of being idenitified with the criminally unacceptable, while testifying the ongoing as well as ancient traditions about Marijuana in a range of Jewish traditions, and most recently and specifically, in the context of Exctatic Chassidut and all initiatory developments on the ongoing and living Torah of all our lives.
We sold out two print runs of that book, in farmers markets and festivals, indybook stores and temples across America, Israel, Great Britain and that’s about it. Still untranslated, even into Hebrew, i’ve been neglecting this project to move on with my life, raise my daughters and care for my communities.
But now, Marijuana’s about to be legal in my native New York, and a new print run is long over due. Condensed and edited down to be more coherent and accessible, with new introductions pending– we’d love to get this out and distributed by this coming April.
But I don’t have cash for that. Print On Demand is valid I guess, but i’ve never liked that model. A print run makes it easier to circulate good gospel and tour with content. If you’d like Cannabis Chassidus to be circulated better, that the innovation and exctatic clarity of the Baal Shem Tov and all the rebbes after him be understood deeply in the context of the good grass that takes the edge off but begs to be related to in holiness, whatsoever that is experienced as– contribute to our efforts today, won’t you?
