Cannabis has been with humanity since the dawn of civilization, so it should be no surprise that the plant has a prominent place in traditional systems of medicine. Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of health and wellness, is just one of those traditions.
Veda Warrior is bringing the principles of this millennia-old practice to the Garden State. The brand’s line of cannabis-infused cooking oils, edibles, and topicals — which feature complex herbal formulations designed with wellness in mind — centers this ancient wisdom. Beyond its product line, the company empowers people to take charge of their well-being through educational opportunities such as yoga sessions and cooking classes.
Veda Warrior is more than just a cannabis company, embracing the therapeutic potential of plants, diet, and lifestyle. Get to know this truly unique company below, and if its offerings sound like just what you’re looking for, stop in and check out Veda Warrior’s great products at High Street.
What is Ayurveda and what does it say about cannabis?
Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health and wellness that emphasizes diet, lifestyle, and mental health. It is a sister science to yoga and meditation, which are whole philosophies in their own right despite the common Western misconception that they are simply standalone activities.
“There’s a complete cultural practice of using cannabis in prayer with mantras; it could be used medicinally, blending it with other herbs,” said Smrita Choubey, founder and CEO of Veda Warrior. “Ayurveda offers a sophisticated knowledge of how plants are healing and which plant parts should be used.”
According to Choubey, Ayurvedic texts frequently describe the combination of cannabis with other herbs. Oftentimes, Ayurveda references using the cannabis leaf as well, instead of just the bud that’s used in joints and to make edibles.
“Right now, in the cannabis space, it’s all about maximizing THC and indoor flower versus sungrown flower,” Choubey said. “Our products are different because we have cannabis, but also six to eight other [complementary] plants.”
Currently, Veda Warrior sources these herbs from trusted suppliers, but the brand has designs to grow many of them on Choubey’s family farm in India — this farm has been in her family for six generations. The company cannot export cannabis to the U.S. due to legal restrictions, but it plans to grow herbs like turmeric, peppermint, wintergreen, ashwagandha, and white musli stateside for use in its Ayurvedic herbal formulations.
Ayurvedic medicine has long recognized the importance of cannabis plants. Native indica landrace strains evolved naturally in India and continue to grow wild today in certain regions of the country, such as Bihar in northern India, where Choubey’s parents emigrated from.
“Ayurvedic texts talk about cannabis in a mythical way,” Choubey said. “They speak of her as a feminine spirit and an enchantress. She is a giver of joy, a bringer of pleasure. She who intoxicates, [a] giver of victory.”
For practitioners of Ayurveda, cannabis offers therapeutic properties that are best expressed when combined with other herbs. That’s the philosophy Veda Warrior has brought to its product line, which brings the healing power of all these plants together.
Combining Ayurveda with modern science
While Ayurveda has been around for thousands of years, it’s important to Choubey to imbue the philosophy with scientific evidence. Choubey’s background in the healthcare industry led her to have great respect for the power of modern medicine, but she was disillusioned with the emphasis the industry placed on profit above wellness.
Veda Warrior combines the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda with scientific perspectives to harness the best of both worlds and optimize the healing power of cannabis and other plants.
“We’ve built a scientific advisory council to research the ancient scriptures, understand what they were saying about cannabis, but also modernize that wisdom,” Choubey said.
The council includes experts in both Western medicine and Eastern philosophies, bringing the worlds of ancient medicine and modern science together, Choubey said.
The council’s exploration informed Veda Warrior’s line of products, the first of which launched in December 2024 and featured three cannabis-infused cooking oils. These include ghee locally sourced in New Jersey and produced by a family who has been making it for five generations; organic olive oil from the Garden State; and organic, cold-pressed coconut oil sourced from India and Sri Lanka.
The company also has plans to release cannabis-infused gummies and topicals for pain management in the near future. All these Veda Warrior products will be available at High Street Dispensary in Hackettstown, NJ.
According to Choubey, Ayurvedic practices have not been clinically proven, but part of Veda Warrior’s mission is to gather the data necessary to do just that.
“There’s a lot of traditional knowledge that’s been used by people for thousands of years,” Choubey said. “The practice largely hasn’t been clinically validated — yet — but these principles work; let’s find a way to validate and test them.
“That’s part of our mission at Veda Warrior,” she added. “We want to work in partnership with research organizations and customers to get data on the efficacy of our products, and then invest in clinical research.”
Helping New Jerseyans take charge of their health and wellness
Veda Warrior’s mission doesn’t end with product development; the company also hosts classes ranging from cooking how-tos, to yoga sessions, to pain management courses. Thanks to its partners, Veda Warrior has a range of venues for hosting these classes.
“Our broader intention is to help educate consumers on a holistic lifestyle powered by the ancient, time-tested principles of Ayurveda,” Choubey said. “It’s not just about trying to sell you cannabis. We want to give you the tools to understand your own body and create a personalized routine for yourself.”
Veda Warrior yoga classes are held at partner dispensaries like High Street and begin with ancient stories intended to provide context about cannabis, restarting the conversation as we exit the era of prohibition, Choubey said. Then, the class begins its yoga session. This is usually followed by a discussion about yoga and how it is a philosophy that extends well beyond the physical movements of the session alone.
Similarly, Veda Warrior hosts cooking classes once per month at Gaia’s Way Farm in Lambertville, NJ. The farm dates back to the 1740s and is today run in a fully sustainable, off-the-grid manner, powered by 100% solar energy.
“The farm is basically living Ayurvedic principles, and I love that,” Choubey said.
During the cooking classes, participants pick the food directly from the plant on the farm and then cook with it (with or without cannabis-infused oils) to learn how to prepare nutritious, healing meals.
Through efforts like these, Veda Warrior hopes to remake the image of what health and wellness look like, empowering New Jerseyans to lead their lives in a way that supports longevity and quality of life.
“We often want quick fixes, but the reality is, that’s not how the body works or how healing works,” Choubey said. “So, we want to educate consumers about Ayurveda — most have never heard of it, and I love that I get to be the first person who explains it to them and helps them to achieve health freedom.”
Try Veda Warrior products at High Street
If the Ayurvedic approach to health and wellness sounds like the path for you, get started with Veda Warrior products at High Street. We love Veda Warrior’s unique approach that bridges ancient Eastern philosophies and modern Western science, and we think you will too. So, if you want to explore Ayurveda for yourself or you have any questions about Veda Warrior’s line of cooking oils and upcoming product launches, stop by our dispensary in Hackettstown, NJ today.