The co-founders of the cannabis brand Swami Select, Nikki Lastreto and Swami Chaitanya, have spent many years on a spiritual path that includes residing in India, frequently visiting temples, and conversing with holy men. When their journey brought them back to California, they created a sanctuary with a unique, spiritual approach to growing cannabis. With Swami Select, they pride themselves in embracing regenerative farming and praise cannabis as a way to heighten the senses and connect with others, as well as the world around them. Lastreto and Chaitanya took time to chat with High Times about the events that led to the origin of their brand, their unique approach to cannabis cultivation, and how the herb brings people together.
“THIS IS SUCH A PASSION FOR ALL OF US AND A LIFESTYLE. WE KNOW WE’RE REALLY HELPING OTHER PEOPLE BY DOING THIS. AND IT’S JUST CREATED, LIKE I KEEP SAYING, THIS AMAZING COMMUNITY.”
-NIKKI LASTRETO
THE MANY LIFETIMES OF NIKKI AND SWAMI
Lastreto and Chaitanya are world travelers whose for many years in the 1980s and Chaitanya was an artist and photographer. Together they traveled to various countries, including China and Thailand, and for a time, they lived in South India in a house overlooking the Arabian Sea.
