Man Made Beer, God Made Weed: Interesting Book

By – Amar Yumnam
Imphal, March 9:
I recently read a book titled “Man Made Beer, God Made Weed: Cannabis/Beer – The Elixirs of Good Life: Unveiling The Nectar of Good Health” in the Kindle Library with Fabian Chow as the author; it has 188 pages of which texts cover 164. This 2025 book has some very interesting dimensions: A. Family as the book starts from the two sons of the author; B. Friends; and C. The larger social interactions. In other words, while talking about how the naturally grown inherited plants for thousands of years have impacted on the larger social interactions starting from family all these years, the related social and the technological evolutions are also looked into. The beauty of the book lies in the explanation of all the aspects in a language anyone can read with interest with full appreciation of the meanings; the agreement or otherwise with the approving approach of the author is a different question.
The author is talking about substances impacting on “lives, culture and identities” of the people and society. He takes beer for relaxation and cannabis as the “natural alternative for relaxation, wellness and creativity.” The author mentions of no violence involved in his experiences around the globe. As he puts it: “As the conversation ebbed and flowed through the evening, it became clear that this was not just a question of preference but a reflection of more profound cultural, historical, and social influences.”
Looking from the way things are in Manipur, I like his statements relating to places around the globe he visited: “At the heart of this exploration is the debate between things natural and those made by man. Beer, a product of human ingenuity, represents the heights of culinary and scientific achievement. It is a testament to our ability to transform the raw ingredients around us into something more. Weed, on the other hand, is a gift from nature, celebrated for its simplicity and its profound effects on the mind and body. This dichotomy raises essential questions about our relationship with nature, technology, tradition, and innovation.” He also talks extensively of the relaxation and medicinal roles these have played in the civilisations around the globe. In all these the inter-personal and group deliberations have been the case, and naturally implies the absence of conflicts for dominance. There is the Goddess of Beer – Ninkasi – in Mesopotamia celebrated from around 4,000 years BC with mantras. There are symbols of “community, creativity, and celebration” in many societies where “Strangers quickly became friends as we bonded over our shared appreciation for good beer. Language barriers dissolved, and our diverse backgrounds only enriched our discussions.
By the night’s end, we had created connections that extended far beyond that moment, all thanks to the communal magic of beer.” So is the case with cannabis “known to have originated in Central Asia. It spread quickly, adapting to various climates and cultures in different parts of the world. Archaeological evidence suggests that the use of cannabis dates back to at least 10,000 years ago, with traces found in ancient Chinese and Japanese cultures.” There are instances of using this for “gout, rheumatism, and malaria. The Chinese referred to cannabis as “ma,” and it played a crucial role in their traditional medicine for millennia.”
In such societies advancement in both education and technology took place. It is exactly here the historical beauty of Manipur comes to mind. Manipur was a kingdom with real social balancing quality. Social equality and consistent endeavours for qualitative advancement took place. Inequality was never socially appreciated. But in recent years, certain social diseases are becoming rules of the social game and governance in Manipur: 1. People with capability leaving Manipur is now a social trend; 2. The inherited social behaviour for shared social advancement with equality is getting increasingly replaced by personal interests; 3. The historical quality of social interaction for deciding on options for social policy is now replaced by the personal interest decisions of the people in powers that be; 4. The external interests to destroy the social qualities of Manipur are now given support by the internal powers that be in Manipur; 5. There is now a consequential atmosphere of weakening shared social strength; 6. Resort to force and violence to enforce the personal interests of the people in powers that be or people building up strengths to become powers that be have become a generalised (though not completely) social behaviour; and 7. Pretensions have become an increasingly shared social behaviour.
Manipur needs today to rehabilitate the historical strength by addressing these issues with shared social honesty and keep violence at a distance.