Cannabis has a long history of medicinal use dating back as far as 2900 BC in China. It was used for various ailments in ancient Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, and Greek medicine. References to cannabis are found in ancient texts like the Atharva Veda and Bible. While its usage declined in the early 1900s in the US due to prejudice towards Mexican immigrants, cannabis gradually gained acceptance again for medical purposes starting in California in 1996, and today most US states allow medical marijuana.
2. China - 2900 B.C.
The Chinese Emperor Fu Hsi
used the term"Ma"for
Cannabis stating that it’s a
popular medication that
contains both yin and yang.
3. Emperor Shen-Neng -
2700 B.C.
Shen-Neng, the father of
Chines medicine, discovered
the healing properties of
cannabis. He used it as a
medication for rheumatism,
menstrual problems, gout,
malaria, and absent-
mindedness.
4. India - 2000 -1000 B.C.
Cannabis was initially referenced in traditional Indian medicinal
writings as early as 2000 B.C. in the Atharva Veda. The ancient
scriptures on Ayurvedic plants classify cannabis as a toxic plant,
although it has been utilized in therapeutic procedures due to its
moderate anesthetic and pain-relieving effects. An ancient
medicinal text, the Sushruta Samhita, recommends using cannabis
plant extract for treating respiratory problems and diarrhea.
5. The Bible - 1450 B.C.
There is the reference to holy anointing oil made from cannabis in
the Book of Exodus. As described, the holy anointing oil contained
over six pounds of kaneh-bosem (cannabis), extracted into about
six quarts of olive oil, along with a variety of other fragrant herbs.
6. 1213 B.C. - Egypt
When the renowned Egyptian
monarch Ramesses died,
archaeologists discovered
cannabis pollen on his corpse.
Hemp was also found in the tomb
of Amenophis IV, who died around
1379 BC. Since then, traces of
marijuana have been discovered
in many more mummies.
7. 700 BC - the Venidad
It is an ancient Persian holy
scripture reportedly written by
Zoroaster and largely influenced
by the Vedas, that referenced
bhang and listed cannabis as the
most significant of 10,000
therapeutic herbs.
8. 200 B.C. - Greece
Cannabis growing was prevalent in the Peloponnese area of
ancient Greece. Pausanias, a Greek historian, made the first
mention of it around 200 BC. The crops were said to have grown
near Elis, in the western Peloponnese. During the ancient times,
however, wild cannabis plants were spotted growing around
hedges, walkways, and borders.
9. 70 - “De Materia Media”
Pedanius Dioscorides
(approximately 40—90 CE), a Greek
physician, pharmacologist, and
botanist, wrote De Materia Medica, a
5-volume encyclopedia or
pharmacopeia on herbal medicine
and associated medicinal
compounds. The book included
around 1,000 basic medications,
including cannabis.
10. 800 – 900 - Arabic World
In Roman times, cannabis was used medicinally across the Arabic
world, applied to a broad variety of diseases (from migraines to
syphilis) and as an analgesic and anesthetic. The eminent ninth-
century Islamic physician Rhazès extensively recommended it.
11. 1400-1700
Marijuana was in wide use from Africa and Chine to Europe and
America. Multiple writings on the potential benefits of hemp seeds
and roots for treating different illnesses like incontinence and skin
inflammations began to appear in several American medical
journals.
12. 1910-1931 - U.S. Marijuana Law and Mexican Immigration
During the Mexican Revolution of 1910, Mexican immigrants flooded
into the United States, bringing with them the recreational usage of
marijuana. Cannabis was associated with immigration, and
marijuana became related to fear and prejudice toward newcomers.
By 1931, marijuana was outlawed in 29 states.
14. 1937 - The Marijuana Tax Act limiting marijuana usage to those
who can pay a high excise tax for specified industrial and medical
uses;
1950-1970 - The Boggs and Drug Control Acts with strict
mandatory sentences for marijuana and other drug crimes;
1986 - The Anti-Drug Abuse Act increasing marijuana punishments
and mandatory sentences, equating cannabis to heroin;
1989 - “New War on Drugs” by George H.W. Bush, the anti-
marijuana initiatives.
