March 10, 2020 4 min read
It’s unclear who the very first person was who discovered weed since it was used so long ago, however we do know that the cannabis plant is native to Central Asia, probably coming from the region of Mongolia and Southern Siberia. There are many early written and archaeological accounts linking the Chinese to the plant, which they cultivated for a variety of purposes. Some studies believe that cannabis may actually be one of the first plants to be cultivated by humans. Hemp grows very quickly and generates a very strong fiber. One acre of hemp can produce four to ten times more fiber than trees within the same amount of time, making it a great alternative for today’s paper based products. The Chinese took advantage of this high yield by crafting rope and string for bow and arrows as well as cloth, paper, food, and medicines. The Japanese, Greek, Roman, Aryans, Assyrians, Indians, Scythians, Thracians, and Dacians, were all known to have used cannabis in ancient times as well. These civilizations were using marijuana well before it made its way into Northern Africa, Western Europe, and finally the Americas.
We’ve been talking about hemp, but if you were wondering when weed was first smoked, this is a difficult question to answer. Surprisingly to some, there is no hard evidence that the ancient Chinese actually smoked the weed they were growing. This is probably because unlike today, where strains are grown specifically for their high THC content, the cannabis plants of the past had very low levels of the chemical compound. Much later there are accounts of people around Central China or Eastern Europe inhaling hemp seed smoke during rituals, however they were not smoking weed in the traditional sense.
As you now know, cannabis has been grown and used for thousands of years. Some of the first accounts of smoking bud were for religious purposes and cultivation of hemp has been essential to the survival of many groups including early American colonists. In modern times, cannabis history focuses mainly on medicinal purposes and recreational use, however hemp cultivation is making a comeback as well. These are a few of the key moments in marijuana and hemp history:
Cannabis is listed as one of the 50 main herbs in traditional Chinese medicine and as previously mentioned, was used as an anesthetic during surgery around 4,000 B.C. in ancient China. Hua Tuo, a Chinese surgeon is often referred to as the first person to use marijuana in this way. Early Japanese, Korean, Indian, Greek, and Egyptian doctors also used marijuana during their practice to treat numerous kinds of ailments.
After spending time in India, Dr. William Brooke O'Shaughnessy brought the drug into Western medicine sometime in the 1830s. In the U.S., marijuana was added to theUnited States Pharmacopoeiain 1850 citing its use for treating typhus, cholera, rabies, dysentery, alcoholism, opiate addiction, leprosy, incontinence, snakebites, gout, excessive menstrual bleeding, and other health issues. Currently, pot is legal for medical use in 33 U.S. states and legal for anyone over the age of 21 to buy in 11 states. The FDA has approved four cannabis prescription drugs: a CBD derivative to control seizures, two drugs for anorexia and issues with weight loss, and a synthetic THC compound to treat the side effects of cancer treatment.
If you want to dig deeper into the topic of medicinal marijuana, check out our articles on the health benefits of cannabis or ways to consume CBD.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Are you at least 21 or older? Please confirm your age to continue to our site!