News Categories
8 ancient cultures that loved smoking weed
Warning message
The subscription service is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
While people’s opinion on marijuana today is divided between people who think it’s totally cool to use and others who think you’ll become a dangerous killer if you use it, that wasn’t really the case in the past, writes Jason Misulonas. For thousands upon thousands of years, ancient cultures used cannabis as a medicine, a building material and even just to get rid of the blues.
Here are eight ancient cultures that enjoyed using cannabis:
1. Babylonia
Babylonia may best be known for being the first civilization to create codified laws with Hammurabi’s code around 1800 BC. But they were also known for using marijuana, with the word azullu being their word for it. They imported cannabis in from the area around modern day Afghanistan and used it to treat depression as well as an ingredient in medical recipes.
2. Egypt
The first mention of cannabis in Egypt is from around 2350 BC, and they hieroglyphic symbol shemshemet as their word for it. It was used often in Egyptian medicine, and was even sold in their version of pharmacies. It was also a known cure for women with “bad humor.”
3. India
Ancient Indians imported cannabis from the same traders that the Babylonians did. In fact, you may recognize the word the Indians used for marijuana: Ganjha. Ancient texts dated to around 1600 BC mention them using marijuana for treating anxiety and other conditions.
4. Greece
Ancient Greek cultures were also aware of the cannabis grown in the Middle East, and their god of wine and intoxication Dionysus was even said to have originated there. They were also known for taking part in steam bathes, except the steam was often not water vapor, but rather cannabis smoke filling up a room to get people high. It’s basically an ancient form of hot-boxing.
5. Rome
The Romans were very into marijuana, and there’s tons of evidence talking about them using it. One famous Roman scientist Pliny mentions the “laughing-weed” known to get people intoxicated, and the Roman doctor Galen wrote about how cannabis was used for anything from burns to tumors to inflammation, but also that it was cooked into desserts and served at parties.
6. China
The Chinese were one of the first people to become major exporters of cannabis. Ancient Chinese people grew hemp for paper, baskets and various textiles, but also grew cannabis for medicinal purposes. And cannabis was one of the most traded commodities on the Silk Road during ancient times. The Chinese emperor Shen Nung wrote about using marijuana as medicine in 2737 BC.
7. Czech
The oldest cannabis product ever discovered is a rope made of hemp that was found in 1997 in the Czech Republic that dated back to 26,900 BC. It’s not quite clear if Czech cultures used cannabis other than hemp, especially since most other documents show eastern cultures introducing marijuana to what we now know as Europe, but they definitely knew about hemp.
8. France
Ok, this technically isn’t “ancient” history, but it’s still cool. When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt in 1798, his troops were getting restless because the Islamic country did not allow alcohol. So the troops began using hashish and cannabis as a replacement. So when Napoleon and his troops returned from Egypt, they also brought a ton of cannabis with them.
420 Intel is Your Source for Marijuana News
420 Intel is the leading source for cannabis news from around the world. Get the latest updates on cannabis legalization, politics and technology, as well as developments in medical and recreational marijuana news. Our commitment is to bring you the most important cannabis news stories every day of the week.
At 420 Intel we understand that effective marijuana industry news coverage is a constant endeavor. Every day stories develop regarding cannabis legalization, technological developments, and the medicinal benefits of marijuana use. Each new development carries the potential to impact the marijuana industry regionally, nationally, and internationally. 420 Intel is the marijuana industry news outlet that will keep you up to date on these developments and how they impact the world around you.
With the marijuana industry constantly evolving, you need a cannabis news outlet to keep you abreast of the pertinent information. At 420 Intel, we cover marijuana legalization news throughout the world, offer reliable information for cannabis business owners, detail technological advances that impact the marijuana industry, cover marijuana rallies from across the globe, and everything in between.
You can get 420 Intel news delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for our daily marijuana news, ensuring you’re always kept up to date on the ever-changing cannabis industry. To stay even better informed about marijuana legalization news follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.