Ancient Cultures and Cannabis

HOW DID ANCIENT CULTURES USE CANNABIS?

Ancient cultures around the world have long used cannabis for its medicinal and psychoactive properties. The first evidence of human use of cannabis comes from a Chinese medical text dating back to 2700 BC. This text, known as the Shen Nung Pen Ts’ao Ching, mentions cannabis as a treatment for a variety of ailments including; gout, rheumatism, malaria, anxiety, and depression. Cannabis then spread to India, where it was used in Ayurvedic medicine. From there, it made its way to the Middle East, Africa, and Western Europe via Greek and the Roman Empire.

Cannabis In Spiritual Rituals

In many ancient cultures, cannabis was and is used for spiritual purposes. For example in India, it was (and still is) associated with the Hindu god Shiva and used in religious ceremonies. In China, it was used in Taoist rituals, and in Africa, it was (and still is) used in traditional ceremonies by the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

Ancient Hemp Uses In Day-to-Day Life

Hemp was used for a variety of purposes, including making clothing, rope, and sails. In more recent years, hemp has been making a comeback as a versatile material for everything from biofuels to building materials. Who knows what the future holds for this amazing plant?

Ancient Recreational Weed

Different cultures have used it for different purposes, but it is clear that recreational cannabis use has been popular for centuries and the ancient folks were always up for a good time!

For example, recreational cannabis was very common in the Middle East during the medieval period. At this time, hashish – a concentrated form of marijuana – was widely consumed by people of all social classes and remains a part of the culture.

In more recent history, recreational cannabis use became popular in Western culture during the 1960s and 1970s as part of the counterculture movement. Today, recreational cannabis use is legal in many parts of the world, including Canada and several states in the United States with hemp-derived products available and legal in all 50 US states.