Humankind has a long history with the cannabis plant. Hemp fibers have been used in Japan as far back as the early Jomon period, 10,000 years ago. Consumption for medicinal purposes dates back to at least 2,800 BC. Around that time, cannabis was included in the pharmacopoeia of Emperor Shennong (considered the father of Chinese medicine).
Placing human use of the cannabis plant in its context highlights how recent cannabis prohibition is as a public policy phenomenon. Don’t get me wrong, cannabis is not banned because it has “no medical value,” nor is it banned for scientifically supported reasons. It is prohibited because of the special interests of some people, including members of Congress.
Italian archaeologists recently conducted a project to examine bones dating back to the 1,600s. They reportedly found traces of cannabinoids, proving that cannabis use has been around for a very long time in Italy.around popular mechanisms:
“This study reports the first physical evidence of cannabis use in modern times, not only in Italy but also in Europe,” wrote the authors of the study detailing this finding. This study archeology journaland documents the group’s toxicological analysis of human bones found in the basement of a hospital in Milan.
“The presence of these two alkaloids proves the use of the cannabis plant by Italians in the 17th century.thcentury,” the author writes. After examining archived hospital documents, the researchers found that cannabis was not administered as a treatment in the 1600s. “We therefore hypothesize that our subjects used cannabis recreationally,” the study states. However, researchers cautioned that other sources of exposure related to out-of-hospital treatment cannot be ruled out.
A project in western China in 2019 also found evidence of high-THC cannabis use, and archaeologists also found smoking devices used for cannabis consumption during the project.
The researchers said, “It is very likely that people encountered cannabis plants that naturally produced high levels of THC at high altitudes.” Ancient art and references from Syria to China suggest even older dates for human use of cannabis.
This article was first published on internationalcbc.com Syndicated here with special permission.