5 Questions with Smrita M. Choubey, Founder and CEO of Veda Warrior.
Cannabis and Ayurveda—two ancient traditions, both rooted in the art of healing, finally coming together in a way that feels like destiny. At the forefront of this revolution is Smrita M. Choubey, founder and CEO of Veda Warrior, a brand dedicated to reclaiming cannabis as a sacred, functional wellness tool. Now, with an electrifying partnership between Veda Warrior and The Cannabist Company, Ayurvedic cannabis-infused cooking essentials are making their way to New Jersey, blending thousands of years of plant wisdom with cutting-edge innovation.
We sat down with Smrita to talk about this historic collaboration, the philosophy behind Ayurvedic cannabis, and how her cultural heritage shaped a brand that’s redefining wellness from the inside out.
High Herstory: Veda Warrior’s partnership with The Cannabist Company marks a groundbreaking moment for both brands. How did this collaboration come to life, and what excites you most about bringing Ayurvedic cannabis-infused cooking essentials to the New Jersey market?
Smrita M. Choubey: This partnership between Veda Warrior and The Cannabist Company represents the convergence of ancient wisdom and modern science. When I founded Veda Warrior, I set out on a mission to bring Ayurveda’s 5,000-year-old knowledge of cannabis to the modern world. As the world’s oldest medical science, Ayurveda stands out in today’s world of confusion as a time-tested approach to holistic healing through the use of the optimal herbs, diet, exercise and lifestyle. I knew that in order to bring its time-tested approach to using cannabis for wellness to the U.S. market, we needed to marry its ancient knowledge with the scientific innovations of the present day. We needed to procure the healthiest and most natural ingredients and also ensure that our products were produced in a safe, compliant way with a partner who could help us scale without compromising our integrity. The Cannabist Company emerged as the perfect ally—allowing us to retain complete control of our supply chain, ensuring that we could source the highest-quality ingredients to create authentic Ayurveda-inspired products while leveraging their brand new facilities and robust distribution network.
What excites me most is the opportunity to shift the conversation around cannabis—moving beyond recreational use and reexploring it as a functional wellness tool, just as Ayurveda has for thousands of years. Our cooking essentials empower consumers to take their health into their own hands, incorporating cannabis into their daily routines in a way that feels natural, intuitive, and deeply nourishing.
HH: How did your cultural heritage and professional background influence the creation of Veda Warrior’s product line, particularly the focus on Ayurvedic cannabis wellness?
SMC: My journey into cannabis was shaped by two distinct yet highly intertwined forces—my Indian heritage and my background in healthcare investment banking. Growing up, I was surrounded by Ayurveda, where food and medicine were viewed as one and the same. My family’s ancestral farm in India, where cannabis grows wild alongside other medicinal plants, was a living testament to this holistic philosophy. I was able to see that cannabis had a longstanding ancient history as a native plant connected with spiritual enlightenment, prayer, ritual, ceremony and medicine. Enchanted by the indigenous songs, prayers and mythological stories of cannabis, I became deeply committed to the mission of understanding the true origins of cannabis, its anthropological history and its traditional uses in holistic medicine.
But when I entered the world of corporate healthcare strategy, I saw a stark contrast—a system built on treating symptoms rather than nurturing vitality. Seeing the need for change, I founded Veda Warrior to reclaim ancient plant wisdom that had been overshadowed by the pharmaceutical industry. Ayurveda doesn’t just treat illness—it teaches us how to proactively stay well, and cannabis has always been an integral part of that equation.
HH: The launch includes cannabis-infused ghee butter, olive oil, and coconut oil—each rooted in both culinary and medicinal traditions. Can you walk us through the inspiration behind these products and how they align with the principles of Ayurveda?
SMC: In Ayurveda, food is considered one of the most important forms of medicine, and how you consume an herb is just as important as the herb itself. Cannabis, known as Vijaya in the ancient language of Sanskrit, has been used medicinally for thousands of years, usually paired with carrier oils that enhance absorption and balance its effects. Ghee butter, olive oil, and coconut oil are three of the most revered fats in Ayurveda, each with its own unique properties.
Ghee butter is a pure and nourishing food that has been used in Ayurveda for millennia to deliver herbs deep into the tissues while also calming the nervous system.
Olive oil is rich in polyphenols and helps balance the body’s inflammatory response, making it an excellent choice for those looking to integrate cannabis into a heart-healthy diet.
Coconut oil is cooling, antimicrobial, and incredibly bioavailable, making it ideal for balancing energy levels, digestion, and skin health.
These products aren’t just infused oils—they are a gateway to an intentional, Ayurveda-inspired way of consuming cannabis, rooted in both history and science. They also allow our customers to express their creativity through cooking their own favorite recipes and building a practice of treating food as medicine.
HH: The second phase of your launch introduces effects-based products, from edibles to topicals. How does Veda Warrior blend ancient Ayurvedic practices with The Cannabist Company’s advanced infusion techniques to create these unique offerings?
SMC: For thousands of years, Ayurveda has paired cannabis with other potent medicinal plants to create formulations targeted at specific ailments. Ancient texts reference cannabis as a key component in remedies for pain relief, sexual vitality, women’s health, stress, digestion, and sleep. This holistic, synergistic approach has been the foundation of our next phase at Veda Warrior.
Inspired by this wisdom, we have developed a line of functional gummies and topicals that pair cannabis with carefully selected botanicals to support joint pain, menstrual cramps, muscle recovery, stress, sleep, creativity, and aphrodisiacs designed for both men and women. Our product line has been developed through six years of dedicated research and development alongside our Veda Warrior Council of Science & Research, ensuring that these products are not just effective, but true to Ayurveda’s time-tested approach to healing.
With The Cannabist Company’s brand new, GMP-compliant facilities, we’re able to bring these ancient formulations to life with modern precision, consistency, and bioavailability. I couldn’t be more excited to finally share these groundbreaking products—bridging the wisdom of the past with the innovation of the future.
HH: This partnership is not just about products; it feels like a movement to redefine wellness. What message do you hope to send to consumers as you bridge the gap between ancient herbal traditions and the modern cannabis industry?
SMC: Cannabis has an ancient story that has yet to be fully told in the modern industry. While the West is just beginning to research its benefits, Ayurveda has already documented centuries of knowledge on how to use cannabis in a balanced, therapeutic way.
With Veda Warrior, we want to create more than just products—we want to inspire a new paradigm of cannabis wellness that honors tradition while embracing modern science. This is about more than just getting high—it’s about getting well, being intentional, and reclaiming plant medicine as a tool for holistic health.
This partnership with The Cannabist Company is helping us expand that mission, bringing the wisdom of Ayurveda into the hands of more people than ever before. My hope is that as we rediscover the ancient story of cannabis, we can also rewrite the future of wellness—one rooted in balance, integrity, and the power of nature.
As cannabis makes its way back to its medicinal roots, Veda Warrior stands as a testament to what happens when ancient knowledge and modern science join forces. This isn’t just about infused ghee or functional gummies—it’s about rewriting the cannabis narrative, one that respects its history and embraces its future. With their unwavering commitment to integrity, research, and Ayurveda’s time-tested principles, Smrita and Veda Warrior are leading a movement that goes far beyond the dispensary shelf. The future of cannabis is intentional, holistic, and deeply connected to the wisdom of the past—and thanks to trailblazers like Smrita, that future is already here. Find out where Veda Warrior products are available near you.