Pay attention that growing marijuana may be subject to special restrictions and regulation in your country or state. Please contact your attorney to obtain advice before cultivating cannabis.
Disclaimer
Pay attention that growing marijuana may be subject to special restrictions and regulation in your country or state. Please contact your attorney to obtain advice before cultivating cannabis.
Cannabis has gone through a long history before being presented to us in its final form. Its roots are so deep that they reach 3000 BC. However, some archaeological evidence suggests that marijuana was used even earlier. People appreciated it very much because of its usefulness: it was used to make ropes, oils, food, medicine, and other goods.
Pioneers: Eastern Civilizations
The first written confirmation of the use of cannabis comes from the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. It dates back to around 2700 BC. However, the cannabis achenes scientists found on the Oki Islands near Japan hint that marijuana was used earlier. These achenes are from around 8000 BC.
The pottery of the Yangshao culture was also a kind of witness, as the fibers of marijuana were vividly imprinted on it. In general, the Chinese often used this plant to make:
- clothes
- shoes
- ropes
- paper.
Other Eastern civilizations are also reported to use the plant widely. The Vedas mentioned a drug called “soma”: the scientists are still arguing whether it was cannabis. The Assyrians used the herb as an aromatic substance. Also, the shamans of the Scythians, Thracians, and Dacians burned cannabis flowers to enter a trance. Herodotus reported that the people of Scythia used marijuana not only for religious rituals but also for recreational use.
Archaeological finds indicate that cannabis was often used in pharmacology. However, all the finds were a part of also ritual ceremonies dedicated to the higher forces and internal energy of a person.
Worldwide Recognition
The use of marijuana began to spread to different parts of the world at the beginning of the common era. And it slowly began to move to Egypt and other African countries.
Muslim countries have been actively distributing marijuana. Interestingly, smoking has never been popular in these countries due to religious reasons. Therefore, pure cannabis was often consumed directly in food. In addition, Muslims invented hashish which is basically a cannabis resin.
American Heritage
Marijuana came to the western hemisphere with the help of the Spaniards in the middle of the sixteenth century. The Spaniards actively cultivated this crop, named “hempe” locally, in Chile. As cannabis spread throughout the continent, Virginia passed a law requiring all marijuana growers to grow only English and Indian cannabis.
Cannabis bans began to spread in the early 20th century. In the United States, restrictions were first introduced in 1906 in the District of Columbia.
In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act was passed, which extended to cannabis. However, the United States soon had to abandon such a law since hemp helped the Americans a lot during the Second World War.
In the 1960s, cannabis became all too common, especially among youth and college students, with the result that cannabis became part of the cultural mainstream of the middle class. After that, the United States began an active fight against this drug. However, the experience of the latest years shows that the issue of cannabis is gaining more attention: many countries and states have already legalized the use of the drug.
