The Global History of Cannabis
Cannabis has been a long-stigmatized plant, but did you know it was revered in many ancient cultures?
The history of cannabis spans thousands of years and has been intertwined with various cultures and civilizations around the world. Cannabis has been used for medicinal, religious, and recreational purposes for millennia. Its use dates back to ancient China, where it was used for medicinal purposes around 2700 BCE. Cannabis use spread to India, the Middle East, and eventually to Europe and Africa.
As author Mike Crowley explored in The Secret Drugs of Buddhism, there is significant evidence that cannabis was one of the sacraments used in this religion, most likely a spiritual relationship that was practiced by pre-Buddhist cultures and subsumed and incorporated into Buddhist practices.
In many ancient cultures, cannabis held significant cultural and religious importance. In India, it was associated with the god…
