A Brief History of Canabis

Image from Wikipedia Commons

• Introduction

Ever since President Bill Clinton told the world he smoked but did not inhale, there's been a need for a new History of Cannabis. There's so much that needs to be included that it would take years to compile. This article is based on just a few notes and is offered as a starter - there's more to come!

• Prehistoric Cannabis Users – Were Our Ancestors Stoned?

The earliest evidence that people were smoking, or more precisely inhaling, cannabis is archaeological: Charred cannabis seeds in a brazier amongst burial goods in an excavation of a burial mound dating from the third millennium BC. The site was in modern-day Romania in Northeast Europe. As the cannabis plant is proven to be indigenous to Central and Southern Asia, we can conclude that cannabis use was happening in those parts even before the third millennium BC. Indeed, it is quite possible that our ancestors had used cannabis for ritual, celebration, recreation and health for thousands of years before the 2000 BC ... at least on this (the Asia, Africa and European) side of the Atlantic Ocean.

• The First Cannabis Users in History and Prehistory

The first mention of cannabis in History was made by Herodotus in the fifth century BC. He tells us that the Scythians, inhabitants besides the Black Sea, were using cannabis. They made their clothes from hemp (a cannabis plant derivative) and (get this) cleansed their bodies in cannabis smoke. Most people today think Herodotus got this wrong and that actually the Scythians were not cleansing their bodies at all but using cannabis as a recreational drug – much as people do today, but it wasn’t illegal in the Scythians’ day.

How did the Scythians "cleanse their bodies"? They entered a specially constructed tent in which cannabis was burned on a brazier like the one (mentioned above) found in Romania. This may have been the first mention of cannabis use in History but it may point to widespread use earlier too.

• The "First Saunas" and the Possible Widespread Use of Cannabis Use in the Bronze Age

There are signs, for example, that a Bronze Age sauna tent existed in Moseley Bog in Birmingham, England. (This site incidentally was a one-time haunt of J R R Tolkien.) Some experimental archaeologists reconstructed the Moseley Bog Bronze Age sauna recently. Also, in 1998 Tim Laurie discovered 64 mounds on the Yorkshire Dales and these according to professional archaeologists were the remains of Bronze Age saunas constructed circa 1500 BC - 1000 BC. All these were heated by stones which had in turn been heated in fires. Mr Laurie said about the mounds he discovered: 

"In pre-history a hot bath would have been really appreciated. They had few pleasures, and this was one of them" He explained further that "For those not well or with rheumatism, a hot bath would make them feel a lot better. I believe these mounds were bathing places, perhaps medicinal and for cleansing." Perhaps it is wrong to speculate but, what the heck, speculation is appreciated on Xomba. What if them naughty Bronze Age ancestors of ours were up to recreational drug use?! Perhaps it was medicinal 

• The Cannabis Cure

In the 1980s Peter Tosh, a member of Bob Marley and the Wailers, released an album which included the track Legalise It. The lyrics of Legalise It made claims as to the medicinal benefits of cannabis. Cannabis is good for easing symptoms of asthma, multiple sclerosis and flu. Many people nowadays risk jail to buy the drug on the black market as it has been shown to decrease the pains concomitant with many chronic and terminal diseases. Cannabis used as a medicine is not new.

Cannabis used as a medicine can be traced back to at least to the first century AD. The drawing reproduced above comes from the Vienna Dioscorides which was copied for a Byzantine princess. It is the copy of an earlier work known as De Materia Medica by the Greek Pedanius Dioscorides (circa 40—90 AD). It is only recently that cannabis has been taken out of the hands of doctors who can no longer prescribe it apart from in extreme and unusual circumstances. For example, Queen Victoria of England (died 1901) took cannabis for period pains.

 

 Image from Wikipedia Commons

Artists and Cannabis – Shakespeare was a Stoner!

Because cannabis has been illegal in most parts of the first world for almost 70 years, it is not surprising that popular artists do not state definitively that they have used or not used the drug. There are the exceptions of course. David Essex led a legalise cannabis movement and members of the Rolling Stones were arrested for smoking it. More recently, Sir Paul McCartney was arrested and imprisoned in Japan for having a few ounces in his luggage when he traveled there.

This however is not just a fairly recent phenomenon. For example, pipes excavated in the Stratford-upon-Avon homes of William Shakespeare have been shown to have cannabis traces on them. This perhaps explains certain scene in Midsummer Night’s Dream ...

Cannabis Made Illegal 

Why Cannabis was made illegal will be addressed in a future article. Suffice it to say that it was to do with the protectionism of big business and a diplomatic shenanigans. It was nothing to do with Reefer Madness. Watch the hilarious American propaganda film on Wilma Proops’ website embedded in the article Reefer Madness CLICK