by Taetske | 10:55 am
(Last Updated On: August 4, 2021)

 

The History of Cannabis through the Ages

 

Cannabis plant

Cannabis plant image by Nicky Pe

 

Cannabis has an ancient history starting some 10.000 years ago. When one investigates a bit it will soon become evident that one can find the use of this plant in about all cultures worldwide.

They used hemp cords in making pottery. There was a find of this type of pottery discovered in an ancient village dating back some 10.000 years. It seems that hemp was the first crop grown by men. Before humans were hunter-gatherers, eating meat, different kinds of berries, and tubers.

Starting agriculture was the beginning of civilization, and one could also say the beginning of upcoming illnesses unknown till then to the human race.
Cannabis seeds and also their oil was used for food in China already 6000BC, and there is evidence that they used the hemp fiber for making fabric some 4000 years ago.

 

The Emperor Shen Nung

The Red Emperor of China Shen Nung, who lived from 2838 to 2698 BC, that is an impressive 140 years, wrote the first pharmacological book “The Herbal” sadly lost in history. This legend tells us that he wrote this book with divine inspiration.

Myth or not, even nowadays this knowledge is still used by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The oldest existing copy is from the year 50 AD, even if its source is accepted to be of a much earlier age.

In 190 AD lived Hua Tue considered in China “The God of Surgery” He was a pioneer in surgical anesthesia known today as “ma-fei-san”. The word ma means Cannabis and most historical scholars agree that in that first anesthetic brew for sure Cannabis was used. Mr. Hua Tuo found a sad ending as he was sentenced to death by an angry ruler.

 

Herodotus

Herodotus image by Janka OO Simka O

 

Many famous historical figures have mentioned the use of cannabis. Here are a few examples

In The Histories from 439 BC, Herodotus writes about the use of Cannabis by the Scythians, be it for ritual purposes or recreation.

Pliny the Elder, 23-79 AD, mentions in his The Natural History the use of Hemp rope and the analgesic effects of marijuana.

Then there is Dioscorides, 70 AD, who was a physician in Nero’s army. In his Pharmacopoeia he listed marijuana.

Between 900-1000, AD Scholars were debating the pros and cons of eating hashish and its use spread throughout Arabia.

 

King Henry

King Henry image by David Mark

 

King Henry VIII

With a big jump forward, we arrive at 1533 where King Henry VIII fined his farmers if they disobeyed the order to plant hemp in their fields for industrial use. I find this a curious bit of information, as nowadays one is punished if one has a plantation. Here in Spain, you can have a couple of plants for private use, but that is all.

 

A different type of book

This is an original book as the approach is holistic. You will read about the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of marijuana. Connecting ancient wisdom with modern science. Nowadays it so often happens that forgotten remedies are “rediscovered”, which is a positive thing.

.

.

Egypt was the supplier of Indian Hemp

“Egypt surpasses all the other nations in the variety of compounds into which this fascinating drug enters, and will one day supply the western world with Indian Hemp when its solid merits are duly appreciated. At present, in Europe, it is chiefly confined to the apothecary’s shelves,”

This is a quote from the book Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to el-Medinah and Meccah by Richard Francis Burton, who lived from 1821 to 1890. He was a British orientalist, soldier, spy, and diplomat.

There are much more examples, but that would take too long.

CBD oil can be used to alleviate many conditions. In this YouTube video, you will hear about the many health benefits of CBD oil.

.

.

Cannabis in Modern Times

Much later in history, it became a crime to have cannabis plants and people ended up in jail.
The sad thing is that the authorities forgot completely about the medicinal use of this powerful plant. They only concentrated on its hallucinogenic effects. Nature provides us with food and cures, but we humans often think we can do it better and that ends up in disaster.

Many people object to this plant because of its negative recent history. On the other hand, one should not forget that this plant forms part of Creation, so even Christians have come to accept this. The benefits of Cannabis are being studied again, and many people with severe ailments have found relief and often a cure.

As one cannot patent something from nature, Big Pharma opposes Cannabis. They prefer to sell their treatments and pills, which have side effects. Be informed and choose what is best for you.

Let us hope that soon worldwide the benefits of Cannabis will be recognized and one can buy CBD oil in shops. Some countries have already softened the laws, but there are still others that refuse to change some outdated ones. My other website is healthy Anti-Aging Alternatives. I have a page on the Health Benefits of Cannabis, please visit it.

Before you leave, you might like to have a look at Recommendations. That is a page with a collection of special things. I hope you will find something of your interest.

 

Source: Wikipedia

Photo Source: Pixabay

 

Nature comes up with amazing things. When I read this information, I was very surprised. Perhaps you are interested to read the following post.

The Amazing Mushroom, How it will Save our Planet

 

Comments

Karen Chambre

This such an interesting article about cannabis. Recently I have had several people tell me how the CBD out of the cannabis has been so helpful with their anxiety.

Jun 19.2017 | 08:19 pm

    admin

    Good evening Karen,

    It is actually quite amazing and sad at the same time that the use of cannabis for a medical purpose has been known for thousands of years but now has been stigmatized as being bad. I am happy to see that more investigations are being made and The Sacred Plant will live a revival in benefit of humankind.

    Regards, Taetske

    Jun 19.2017 | 08:56 pm

Danielle

Hi Taetske
I started off on the wrong foot, believing that cannabis is a bad plant because of it’s hallucinogenic property. Then one day I walked into a shop that had clothes made from hemp. I was amazed at all the good properties the proprietor talked about.

It is true that nature gives us these wonderful plants and we turn it around and end up with a different picture altogether.

Thank you for taking the time write about the good things about this wonderful plant. Hopefully we will end up with it back in it’s useful properties uses.

🙂
~Danielle

Jun 22.2017 | 05:41 pm

    admin

    Yes, Danielle, I was like you but now know better. In the meantime, I have found out that it is legal in Spain to have 5 plants on the property. I am seriously thinking about getting them soon so I can put a leaf a day in my smoothies, to keep the doctor away you know.
    I will also try it on Cindy, my 11-year-old Rothweiler Lady, she has a fist big lump on her breast now for one and a half year. I refuse to have her operated because in case it should be cancer it will take her to her grave very soon. At the moment she gets a mixture of Curcuma, Olive and Coconut oil, pills with Glucosamine and MSM, 10 drops of Oceans Alive, 10 drops of Mirra and Aurum Metallicum=gold, those very small Homeopathic pills. I include some hand healing and hope for the best.
    Thank you for visiting my website.

    Regards, Taetske

    Jun 22.2017 | 07:37 pm

Michelle

Hello there Taetske,
Thanks for such an interesting article about cannabis. It is sad when we focus on the not so good point of anything and anyone – eg the hallucinogenic vs healing effects of this plant.
Coming from a Caribbean island where Rastafarians believe in the ‘power’ of certain plants, I am no stranger to ‘sacred’ plants. I have not used the plants but I love hearing about the medical benefits that can be garnered from the plant world.
Michelle

Jun 23.2017 | 04:32 pm

    admin

    Good evening Michelle,

    Thank you for visiting my website. Yes, it is sad indeed that such a good and helpful plant is forgotten in these modern times. Nature provides us with food and aid in time of illness but it has to be all rediscovered. Let’s go through life with open eyes and think for ourselves instead of always believing the bad news. All the best, Regards Taetske

    Jun 23.2017 | 05:18 pm

Sujandar Mahesan

Cannabis has become really famous in the recent days.Especially the CBD oil which is been taken out from the Cannabis has been exquisite. It is been curing so many things for people in a much easier way. It is really good to know about its history. Thank you for sharing this post.

Feb 01.2019 | 08:10 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Sujandar,

    Thank you for commenting on my post. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    When you look at the history of Marijuana it is really old and all civilizations have used it. Now in modern times, there is still a strong opposition which I personally do not agree with. As you also mention it has helped so many people with their ailments and it has no side effects. The CBD oil can be used for many problems and even house pets can benefit from it. I always prefer to use the helping nature offers us instead of taking man-made medicine.

    Regards, Taetske 

    Feb 02.2019 | 07:40 am

Saori

Hello, Tastske. Thank you for writing an educational article! I’m sure lots of people are surprised to hear that historical figures used Cannabis. I believe your article will help some cannabis haters change their opinion about it if they learn its history and health benefits. I hope you will keep wring about Cannabis and spread the positive bibs to the world.

Mar 09.2019 | 09:56 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Saori,

    Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    On both my websites I have posts which are related to our health and wellbeing. We can do a lot ourselves to stay healthy and well balanced. But, these modern times do not make it super easy and one needs to be well informed about what is happening in our world. It is too easy to fall into a propaganda type of trap which will harm our physical balance. Nature provides for all our needs and is far better for us instead of all these man-made chemicals.

    Regards, Taetske

    Mar 10.2019 | 12:42 pm

GVporras

Thank you for this informative article about cannabis, a very interesting history.

As many people said that they found a lot of benefits from this plant but I can understand why authorities forget about the medicinal aspect of this plant. It is because a lot of people used it for another thing, not for helping on their medical need, which was what years ago it was used for.

Personally, I have a couple of friends that get addicted to this plant. I know how beneficial this plant can be, but at the same time, it can go in a different direction if we not careful about it.

Mar 09.2019 | 10:06 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning,

    If you take CBD oil for health reasons it will not make you high. The smoking of Marijuana is, of course, something very different. The good thing is that Mother Nature provides for our needs. We have to choose wisely which direction we want to take.

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Regards, Taetske

    Mar 10.2019 | 12:35 pm

Topazdude

Impressive! What an informative and interesting article. Yes, cannabis has a wide long story over the years that as one investigates a bit it will soon become evident that one can find the use of this plant in all cultures worldwide. Many historical figures actually acknowledge the medicinal use of this plant like Hua Tue of China “The God of Surgery”, Herodotus also writes about the use of Cannabis by the Scythians, be it for ritual purposes or recreation, and a lot of them. But, nowadays, it became a crime to have Cannabis plants and even people ended up in jail. Although we cannot blame the authorities forgetting completely the medicinal use of this powerful plant, as this plant is being abused wide-range across the world by old and young for its hallucinogenic effects. Under this evil effect, they engage in any sort of ungodly and unethical acts. Am glad that most authorized pharmacy companies do add little of this plant to some drug for quick action. The important matter is to be informed and choose what is best for you. Great article.

Mar 09.2019 | 10:14 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Topaz,

    Thank you for leaving a comment on my website. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    I am happy that Cannabis is getting a better reputation as CBD oil is helping so many people worldwide. I think we are all entitled to freely choose what to take for our ailments. You are right in saying that sadly many people are drug dependent and that can result in undesirable behavior. As with everything else in life when it concerns your health the better one is informed a more intelligent choice can be made how and where to find the right cure.

    Regards, Taetske

    Mar 10.2019 | 12:28 pm

Kara

Taetske,

This is a beautiful article!  I think it is very sad that many people will not try something that may have beneficial impacts on their health just because it has been seen as bad.  My mom and dad have a myriad of health problems and I finally got them to start using CBD oil and they love it!  My dad’s arthritis especially has been less painful for him!  They resisted for years because they didn’t want to ‘get involved with that stuff.’  I am so glad that there are websites and writers like you that put the facts out there so maybe someone’s life can be pleasantly changed like my parents were!

Thanks,

KARA

Aug 11.2020 | 04:15 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Kara,

    Thank you for stopping by and for leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    Good for you that you insisted with your parents. Now they have been convinced how helpful CBD oil can be. I am no friends of Big Pharma as all these pills which are chemicals only make people addicted and let us not forget all the side effects. 

    Regards, Taetske

    Aug 12.2020 | 02:15 pm

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to content

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. We use cookies to personalize content, provide advertisements, and analyze our traffic. We do not utilize social media so your information will not be shared. Click on our privacy policy banner at the bottom of this page for more information. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close