Cannabis, the herb that gives people a buzz, has a long history and has been found throughout the world. However, the exact origin of the plant is a mystery. Several facets of the history of the plant have been researched and discussed. Some of the topics that have been covered include Ancient Egyptian Papyri which mention medical cannabis, Seeds found in a grave in the Gobi Desert, and legalization in the United States during World War II.
Ancient Egyptian Papyri that mention medical Cannabis
The use of medical cannabis in ancient Egypt is a topic of debate. It’s unclear how widespread the practice was, but many scholars believe that the drug was used for medicinal purposes. There’s also the possibility that cannabis smoke was used in rituals and spiritual ceremonies.
Ancient Egyptians believed in an array of gods and goddesses. These mythical figures included Ra, Osiris, and Seshat. As well as being popular, these figures were important in shaping the culture of the time.
In addition to a long list of religious beliefs, these ancient Egyptians used a variety of medicines and remedies. Some of these include opium and cannabis.
Among the different types of drugs that were used, opium was used to help with pain and calm crying children. Other people also used it to soothe nerves and make them sleep.
Cannabis is a type of herb that has anti-inflammatory properties. One ancient Egyptian document mentions the benefits of using a poultice containing cannabis to ease inflammation of the toenail. Another Egyptian document recommends treating menstrual pain with cannabis.
The ancient Egyptians were a technologically advanced society. They developed a number of tools, including papyrus. Papyrus parchment evolved into paper and allowed documentation. They recorded their medical knowledge on papyrus, as well as legal and mythological tales.
Although the use of cannabis in ancient Egypt is still an issue of debate, the substance was not banned. Traces of the drug have been found in mummies from several different periods. Among other traces, one mummy had nicotine and cocaine in its system.
According to modern medicine, cannabis is used to treat glaucoma and intraocular pressure. In addition, the drug is often referred to as a “no-grief” agent that helps to quiet ills and soothe strife.
While most ancient civilizations did not allow women to practice medicine, the Egyptians were able to do so. Women were also able to perform healing practices, such as spells.
Many historians think that the use of cannabis in ancient Egyptian medicine was limited to gynecology, but there’s still some evidence to support the idea. Several mummies, such as those of Pharaoh Ramesses II, contain traces of the plant.
Seeds found in a grave in the Gobi Desert
A new study has revealed the world’s oldest stash of marijuana. Scientists discovered the plant near the head of a blue-eyed Caucasian man who died at 45 years old. The cannabis was found in a wooden bowl inside the grave.
During a recent dig in China, an international team of scientists examined ancient cannabis. They found that it was preserved beautifully by burial conditions. This stash has a high THC content and was presumably used as a medicinal agent. It also contained other metabolites.
Scientists have long known that ancient civilizations used cannabis as a drug. However, they were unsure whether the plant was grown for medical or spiritual purposes. Pedanius Dioscorides, a Roman physician, wrote a book about the use of many plants. Among the plants he studied was Cannabis (Hemp).
While the Vavilov principles suggest that cannabis was cultivated, researchers have not been able to determine how it was used. Nevertheless, they believe that marijuana was consumed as part of a cultic tradition.
The Gushi culture, which inhabited the Gobi Desert, pounded and processed cannabis. It was also used as a divinatory tool. In addition to cannabis, the shaman in the grave was buried with several high-value artifacts. He was believed to have spoken the Tocharian language.
The oldest evidence of marijuana use in the area is a Neolithic site in China called Yuan-Shan. This site is thought to have been the first to produce fiber from Cannabis. Several Neolithic pottery objects included hemp cord markings.
Ancient Egypt also prescribed cannabis as a medicine. Ramesses II’s mummy contains pollen from Cannabis. Medical Cannabis was mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus and Chester Beatty’s Medical Papyrus VI.
Researchers have speculated that the Gushi people grew and processed their own marijuana. Similarly, other cultures in the area made hemp into various goods when 7,000 years ago.
The Gushi people were nomadic pastoralists. Their culture also cultivated cannabis for spiritual and pharmaceutical purposes.
This finding is important because it shows that the ancients were not only growing hemp for clothing and rope, but also for psychoactive purposes.
Spread along the nascent Silk Road
The Silk Road was a trade network that connected China with Europe. It was a system of routes used for more than 1,500 years. People from a variety of countries traveled along it.
For centuries, people were able to exchange ideas, goods, and cultures. This enabled new innovations to be created. One of the earliest of these innovations was the use of gunpowder to make war more effective.
Another was the introduction of horses, which contributed to the Mongol Empire. Other popular commodities from Asia included tea, silk, and jade.
Many of the new innovations were forged in collaboration. The Silk Road’s connections were important to the establishment of multiple civilizations. These relationships fostered innovations in technology, medicine, and science.
Among the Silk Road’s many accomplishments was the invention of public health measures, including vaccines and variolation. These measures helped to combat a deadly disease known as smallpox.
The Silk Road was also home to the famous Xi’an stela, which commemorates the arrival of Nestorian missionaries in 781 C.E., and the nascent world’s first medical botany.
Several diseases were transmitted across the Silk Road, including plague and the Black Death. However, the spread of the latter did not begin until after the establishment of the Ottoman Empire in 1453 C.E. The resulting destruction of local economies did not allow the disease to spread much further.
As the ages passed, religions were introduced along the Silk Road. Buddhism had not reached East Asia by the time of the Arab invasion. Christianity and Judaism had both spread to Central Asia and had begun to develop their own unique traditions of practice.
While the Silk Road has left an imprint on history, its influence is still present in the 21st century. New infrastructure projects like the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative are seeking to expand transportation through historic trade routes.
Despite its shortcomings, the Silk Road has been a powerful force in fostering the development of culture and technology. By connecting people and communities, it has served as a model for how diverse cultures can interact.
Legalization in the United States during World War II
Marijuana has been subject to a long history of prohibition and regulation in the United States. The history of marijuana’s prohibition stretches back to the colonial era, and there are many similarities to the current debates over the legalization of cannabis.
Throughout the nineteenth century, state and municipal laws were enacted to control access to cannabis, as well as other substances. These laws were mainly aimed at restricting the sale of pot, as well as its cultivation.
In the late 1840s, pharmaceutical preparations of cannabis became available in drug stores. However, most Americans had no knowledge of the plant’s existence until the early 1900s.
After World War I, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began promoting hemp production. Hemp’s fiber was used for clothing, rope, and sails. Its seeds were sold by America’s most prominent pharmaceutical companies.
The arrival of Mexican immigrants in the 1910s coincided with the widespread use of marijuana. This led to reactionary legislation in the Southwest.
By the end of the 1930s, several states had passed anti-marijuana laws. Although no legislative debate took place, laws were passed without public outcry.
Harry Anslinger’s campaign against cannabis was effective. His efforts helped produce the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, the first federal law criminalizing the use of marijuana nationwide. Under the act, any person in violation of its rules could be jailed for up to five years.
In addition to the Marihuana Tax Act, there were many other laws that criminalized the sale and possession of marijuana. The Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914, for instance, prohibited the distribution of opium and heroin.
During the Great Depression, many people feared “evil weed.” Public fear of cannabis was a major factor in the passage of anti-marijuana laws. Those laws, though, were based on the reputation of the drug from the nineteenth century.
Anti-dope laws made it difficult to import hemp. In addition, the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 required the listing of cannabis on patent medicine company lists.
Even after the passage of these laws, marijuana continued to be regulated by local concerns. When the first federal law criminalizing the consumption of cannabis was passed in 1937, it was modeled after the National Firearms Act of 1934.
