Nuns Who Smoked Cannabis: Uncovering the Sisters of the Valley and Beyond

1. Historical Roots: From Medieval Beguines to Modern Hemp Orders

When historians examine monastic life in medieval Europe, they seldom mention hemp or cannabis. Yet, if we look beyond the cloister walls and into the world of lay religious movements, we find early precedents for plant-centered sisterhoods. The Beguines—women who formed semi-monastic communities in the Low Countries between the 12th and 16th centuries—arranged their lives around prayer, manual labor, and service without taking permanent vows. While they did not cultivate hemp specifically for psychoactive use, many beguinages kept gardens and herb plots, raising medicinal plants for healing the sick and poor. Their model of communal living, devotion to service, and flexible vows prefigures today’s self-styled “hemp orders.”

Centuries later, in the heart of the European counterculture of the 1960s and ’70s, artists and intellectuals began to re-examine the spiritual potential of psychoactive plants. Figures like Aldous Huxley and Timothy Leary popularized the notion that substances such as mescaline, psilocybin, and cannabis could catalyze mystical experiences. Although mainstream monastic orders remained skeptical—if not outright hostile—to any association with mind-altering substances, fringe groups began to experiment. The seeds of today’s cannabis-embracing sisterhoods were sown in these crosscurrents of religious reform and psychedelic exploration.

By the turn of the 21st century, the legalization of medical marijuana in several U.S. states provided fertile ground for entrepreneurial spiritual communities. A handful of independent women adopted monastic imagery—habits, chapel-like grow rooms, daily rituals—to reframe cannabis as a sacrament rather than a street vice. Their deliberate echo of medieval orders like the Beguines signals a revival of plant-centered devotion, adapted to contemporary legal and cultural contexts.

2. Sisters of the Valley: America’s Pioneer “Cannabis Club”

In 2011, Christine “Sister Kate” Meeusen and a small group of supporters founded the Sisters of the Valley in California’s Central Valley region, near Merced. Clad in homemade habits—black skirts, denim vests, and lace-trimmed veils—they set out to grow high-CBD, low-THC hemp under the phases of the moon. Their mission: to produce plant-based salves, oils, and tinctures for individuals suffering from pain, anxiety, and chronic illness.

Their operation functions more like a spiritual retreat center than a typical dispensary. Each morning begins with a short prayer service in their converted barn, where they bless the plants, invoking Earth’s healing energies. Members—whom they call “novices”—pay subscription fees in exchange for monthly care packages containing topical salves and capsules. By 2015, reported revenues had reached approximately $6 million; by 2017, estimates soared past $25 million. Their signature product, the Tropical Salve, is rumored to generate over $3,000 in daily sales during peak season.

Sister Kate frames the work as an act of compassionate ministry. “If Jesus lived today,” she has often said in interviews, “he might have used cannabis to heal the sick.” This provocative claim grabbed headlines in publications like The Guardian and The New York Times when the Sisters first appeared in mainstream media around 2014. Legal challenges followed: local ordinances in Merced County banned new marijuana cultivation sites, forcing the Sisters to adapt by relocating plots and applying for hemp permits rather than medical cannabis licenses.

Beyond product distribution, the Sisters foster a vibrant community through social channels. They share insights on lunar planting schedules, harvest techniques, and spiritual reflections via newsletters and video tutorials. Their approach blends entrepreneurial savvy with genuine care for their audience, positioning the community as both a circle of support and a source of healing remedies.

3. Mexico’s Rebel Orders: Fighting Narcos with Nugs

South of the border, in the mountainous regions of Guerrero and Michoacán, another form of cannabis sisterhood has taken root—not as a commercial venture but as an act of resistance. Amid the violence of cartel turf wars, a discreet collective of women adopted the image of nuns to shield their guerrilla-style cannabis gardens. Operating without official ecclesiastical blessing, they refer to themselves simply as Las Hermanas, “the Sisters.”

Their mission is twofold: reclaim cannabis cultivation from cartels and provide free medicinal cannabis to communities harmed by violence and displacement. In remote villages where healthcare infrastructure is sparse, Las Hermanas offer topical creams for pain relief, THC/CBD capsules for insomnia, and educational workshops on plant stewardship. Their annual “Cosecha Solidaria” (Solidarity Harvest) gatherings feature prayer circles, hemp-infused cooking demonstrations, and support groups for survivors of drug-related violence.

Despite operating in a legal gray area—Mexico legalized recreational cannabis in mid-2024 but regulations remain in flux—Las Hermanas evade heavy-handed policing through rural isolation and community goodwill. Their repeated motto, “La planta es nuestra medicina, no un arma” (“The plant is our medicine, not a weapon”), has been featured in international photo essays, amplifying their cause worldwide.

Over time, the model has spread beyond Guerrero. Informal networks of women in Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Jalisco have organized similar associations, sharing seed stock, cultivation tips, and legal advice via encrypted messaging apps. These sisterhoods operate both as mutual aid societies and as acts of political defiance against cartel exploitation and patriarchal norms within the Church hierarchy.

4. Joining the Association: How to Connect with Cannabis-Friendly Orders

If the idea of a cannabis-embracing sisterhood resonates, there are several paths to involvement. Note that many of these groups maintain selective membership processes to preserve their ethos and safety.

1. Explore Established Communities:
   Begin with the Sisters of the Valley via their official site, where you can subscribe to their newsletter, join virtual workshops, and learn about lunar cultivation practices.
2. Attend Retreats and Ceremonies:
   Groups like Las Hermanas occasionally host low-profile retreats in rural Mexico. Announcements typically appear on encrypted messaging channels—seek referrals from trusted contacts within local hemp advocacy networks.
3. Join Local Hemp Associations:
   In many regions, grassroots hemp associations serve as entry points. Look for listings of plant-spirit gatherings and sister-circles through regional advocacy organizations.
4. Engage Online:
   Specialized forums and community platforms host discussions on cannabis spirituality, ceremonial rites, and plant medicine. Introduce yourself, share your intentions, and ask for group suggestions.

Tip: Always verify the legal status of hemp and cannabis in your area before participating. Seek out organizations that emphasize compliance, harm reduction, and transparency to ensure a safe, supportive experience.

5. Spirituality, Activism & Healing: Core Beliefs and Practices

Across the diverse communities of cannabis-embracing nuns, several foundational principles emerge:

• Plant-Centered Rituals:
  Rituals often align with lunar cycles: new moon plantings, full moon harvest blessings, and solstice ceremonies. Members may recite psalms, mantras, or original prayers composed to honor the spirit of the cannabis plant.
• Holistic Medicine:
  Emphasis on non-intoxicating, high-CBD preparations for chronic pain, inflammation, and anxiety. THC-rich extracts are reserved for guided ceremonial use under sister supervision to ensure safety and spiritual integration.
• Social Justice & Mutual Aid:
  Profits frequently support harm-reduction programs, women’s shelters, and drug-rehab initiatives. Some communities distribute free medicine to victims of violence, while others donate a portion of proceeds to food-security charities.
• Educational Outreach:
  Workshops cover cultivation techniques, plant chemistry, legal rights, and the history of hemp. Many orders partner with advocacy groups to publish research and host public forums.
• Environmental Stewardship:
  Practices include organic farming, water-conservation methods, and regenerative soil management. Some communities braid hemp fibers into ceremonial textiles or donate fiber harvests to sustainable-craft cooperatives.

These shared values foster a global sisterhood. Despite geographic and legal differences, cannabis nun orders collaborate through virtual conferences, shared publications, and seed-sharing networks—underscoring that the plant can unite communities across borders.

6. Further Reading & External Resources

• Sisters of the Valley Official Site – Learn about their products, rituals, and community initiatives.
• National Cannabis Industry Association – Directory of industry associations and educational resources.
• Al Jazeera Photo Gallery: Mexico’s weed nuns taking the plant back from the narcos – Visual essay on Las Hermanas and their solidarity harvest.
• BBC News on Faith & Cannabis: “An uncanny mixture: God, alcohol and even cannabis” – Exploration of religious groups incorporating psychoactive substances.
• The Guardian: “The Sisters of the Valley” – In-depth profile and photo series on California’s hemp nuns.
• Vice: “Meet the Weed Nuns” – Interview and documentary footage from Mexican sisterhoods.