{"id":4918,"date":"2022-03-17T18:26:41","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T18:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=197863"},"modified":"2022-03-17T18:26:41","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T18:26:41","slug":"the-origins-of-weed-how-the-plant-spread-across-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=4918","title":{"rendered":"The origins of weed: How the plant spread across the world"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>The origins of weed: How the plant spread across the world | Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. This script needs to setup it's interjection stuff before GAM loads. --> <!-- End Index Exchange --> <!-- Quotes = strings--><!-- No quotes = boolean-->\t   <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v18.1 (Yoast SEO v18.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->                   <!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- BEGIN Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END Sailthru Horizon Meta Information -->  <!-- Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- End Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --><br \/>\n <!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <\/p>\n<div id=\"copy_clipboard_success\" class=\"fixed top-0 left-0 right-0\">\n<div class=\"bg-white p-lg container mt-xl flex justify-between elevation-low rounded\"> <span class=\"flex items-center\">     <span class=\"ml-md\">Link copied to your clipboard<\/span> <\/span> <button id=\"copy_clipboard_close_btn\">    <\/button> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <title>Leafly<\/title>     <title>Leafly \u00ae<\/title>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              <title>Loading\u2026<\/title>                     <\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-white fixed flex hidden inset-0 items-start md:h-auto md:items-center overflow-auto\" id=\"age-gate-container\">\n<div class=\"bg-white md:h-auto mx-auto p-lg text-sm w-full\" id=\"age-gate\">\n<p><label for=\"select-country\">Where are you from?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__info\">\n<p><button class=\"button\" data-testid=\"age-gate-no-button\" id=\"tou-cancel\">no<\/button><button class=\"button ml-md\" data-testid=\"age-gate-yes-button\" id=\"tou-continue\">yes<\/button><\/p>\n<p><label class=\"checkbox__label my-xl\"><span class=\"text-xs\" id=\"remember-user-label\">Remember me for 30 days. <br \/>I confirm that this is not a shared device.<\/span><\/label><\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--underage hidden\">Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p id=\"h-cannabis-has-grown-and-evolved-with-humans-for-thousands-of-years-many-separate-cultures-cultivated-the-plant-using-its-seeds-for-food-its-fibers-to-make-textiles-rope-and-other-materials-and-its-buds-as-a-medicine-and-psychoactive-substance-in-spiritual-ceremonies-cannabis-proved-to-be-a-very-useful-plant-for-our-ancestors-and-it-continues-to-be-today\">Cannabis has grown and evolved with humans for thousands of years. Many separate cultures cultivated the plant, using its seeds for food, its fibers to make textiles, rope, and other materials, and its buds as a medicine and psychoactive substance in spiritual ceremonies. Cannabis proved to be a very useful plant for our ancestors and it continues to be today.<\/p>\n<p>If there was one thing our ancestors knew, it was the healing properties of cannabis. While the wonders of cannabis medicine may feel like a new discovery in the West, cultures in the East have used and documented it for thousands of years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Check out the story of cannabis\u2014where it originated, how it spread across the globe, and which cultures used it. Learn how important the plant was to ancient humans and how it continues to be important to humans today.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"leafly-table-of-contents w-full relative\"><button class=\"w-full text-left text-sm bg-leafly-white py-xs px-sm font-medium\" type=\"button\" id=\"tableOfContents\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><\/p>\n<p><span>Jump to a section<\/span><span class=\"caret\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img alt=\"origins of weed timeline\" class=\"wp-image-197903 has-ll lazyload\" width=\"450\" height=\"960\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/the-origins-of-weed-how-the-plant-spread-across-the-world-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/the-origins-of-weed-how-the-plant-spread-across-the-world-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/the-origins-of-weed-how-the-plant-spread-across-the-world-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/the-origins-of-weed-how-the-plant-spread-across-the-world-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>(Sasha Beck\/Leafly)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<h2 id=\"h-where-did-weed-first-grow-wild\">Where did weed first grow wild?<\/h2>\n<p>Cannabis likely <a href=\"https:\/\/biblioteca.matinhocheiroso.com\/Cannabis\/Cannabis%20Evolution%20and%20Ethnobotany%20-%20Robert%20C.%20Clarke%20&amp;%20Mark%20D.%20Merlin%20-%209780520270480.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">originated<\/a> in Central Asia, in parts of China, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and India. Humans began practicing agriculture about 10,000 years ago, and cannabis is believed to have been cultivated by humans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Mark-Merlin\/publication\/225632469_Archaeological_Evidence_for_the_Tradition_of_Psychoactive_Plant_Use_in_the_Old_World\/links\/0deec5313bdf5bf775000000\/Archaeological-Evidence-for-the-Tradition-of-Psychoactive-Plant-Use-in-the-Old-World.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5,000 \u2013 6,000 years ago<\/a>. In prehistoric times, as weather warmed and humans migrated, they brought cannabis with them, spreading the plant far and wide.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p id=\"h-from-central-asia-cannabis-is-believed-to-have-spread-to-the-middle-east-and-the-east-coast-of-africa-as-well-as-to-southeast-asia-it-would-eventually-make-its-way-to-europe-and-the-americas-hundreds-of-years-later\">From Central Asia, cannabis is believed to have spread to the Middle East and the east coast of Africa, as well as to Southeast Asia. It would eventually make its way to Europe and the Americas hundreds of years later.<\/p>\n<p id=\"h-different-types-of-cannabis-started-to-develop-in-specific-regions-these-are-called-landraces-today-these-strains-such-as-hindu-kush-from-the-kush-mountains-of-pakistan-and-afghanistan-are-native-to-a-specific-region-and-are-influenced-by-that-region-s-climate-geography-soil-and-environment\">Different types of cannabis started to develop in specific regions\u2014these are called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/cannabis-glossary\/landrace\"><em>landraces<\/em><\/a> today. These strains, such as Hindu Kush, from the Kush Mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan, are native to a specific region and are influenced by that region\u2019s climate, geography, soil, and environment.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-medicinal-cannabis-in-ancient-china\">Medicinal cannabis in ancient China<\/h2>\n<p>The world\u2019s oldest text on medicine, the <em>Pen-ts\u2019ao Ching,<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.nz\/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=gCRNRGOhNA4C&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA51&amp;dq=Li,+H.+L.+(1975).+The+origin+and+use+of+Cannabis+in+Eastern+Asia.+In+Rubin,++V.+(Ed.),+Cannabis+and+Culture+(pp.+51%E2%80%9362).+Paris:+Mouton.+&amp;ots=VGej0TVAX_&amp;sig=SonCiXDR5ltNQfJdBAvGrREs2I8#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first became prominent<\/a> during the late Han Dynasty, in the second century CE, but was compiled from ancient texts. It refers to Emperor Shen-Nung, the father of Chinese medicine, who lived around at least 2000 BCE, who recognized the benefits of cannabis for over 100 ailments. The <em>Pen-ts\u2019ao Ching<\/em> represents the earliest record of cannabis as a medicinal drug, emphasizing the plant\u2019s healing potential, and how safe it was to use.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-right\">\n<p>Note that \u201chemp\u201d and \u201ccannabis\u201d are interchangeable in ancient texts. Today, we define \u201chemp\u201d as cannabis plants with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC, but our ancestors did not make this distinction. Hemp fiber was used to create materials, its seeds for food, and its buds for medicinal or spiritual practices.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A concoction of female cannabis flowers is referred to as \u201cma-fen,\u201d in the <em>Pen ts\u2019ao Ching<\/em>. Chinese medicine is premised on yin and yang, and cannabis was viewed as a medicine that restored yin, useful for conditions such as gout, rheumatic pain, constipation, malaria, and gynecological disorders.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.nz\/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=gCRNRGOhNA4C&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA51&amp;dq=Li,+H.+L.+(1975).+The+origin+and+use+of+Cannabis+in+Eastern+Asia.+In+Rubin,++V.+(Ed.),+Cannabis+and+Culture+(pp.+51%E2%80%9362).+Paris:+Mouton.+&amp;ots=VGej0TVAX_&amp;sig=SonCiXDR5ltNQfJdBAvGrREs2I8#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Linguistic analysts<\/a> even tell us that medicinal cannabis influenced certain Chinese compound words, including the words for \u201cnumb,\u201d \u201cnarcotic,\u201d and \u201cparalysis,\u201d which are all formed with the word \u201cm\u00e1,\u201d meaning \u201chemp,\u201d and which can describe the effects of cannabis.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/science-tech\/2500-year-old-bong-suggests-ancient-chinese-used-cannabis-at-funerals\">scientists discovered a wooden brazier<\/a> dating back to around 1500 BCE. Ten of these devices were found at a cemetary in the Eastern Pamir region of China, suggesting they were part of a burial ceremony. These braziers were pieces of wood with deep wells carved into them, and the charred residue inside contained traces of cannabinoids. Cannabis and a heated rock would be placed inside the braziers and the smoke inhaled.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, another use of cannabis pops up in China centuries after the time of the wooden braziers, in <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30417354\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">documents<\/a> from the Han Dynasty (200 BCE \u2013 220 CE). They describe the pain-relieving properties of cannabis based on the work of a renowned surgeon, Hua Tuo, who performed surgeries without inflicting pain on his patients due to his application of \u201cm\u00e1y\u00f3u,\u201d an oil infused with cannabis resin, datura, and wine.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-cannabis-in-india-sacred-medicine-and-ayurveda\">Cannabis in India: Sacred medicine and Ayurveda<\/h2>\n<p>Cannabis features prominently in the <em>Atharva Veda<\/em>, a collection of holy writings in Sanskrit dating back to at least 800 BCE, if not earlier. The <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/7024492\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">text<\/a> mentions cannabis as one of five sacred plants, its medicinal uses merged with religious and ritual practices. It was recognized as a source of happiness and a bringer of joy and freedom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The plant was also described in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30417354\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Susrita Samhita<\/em><\/a>, a foundational text of Ayurvedic medicine from around 800 BCE, which explains the plant\u2019s many healing properties. Cannabis was used for a staggering range of treatments: as an appetite stimulant, pain-reliever, anesthetic, anticonvulsant, and antiparasitic, among others.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/lifestyle\/what-is-bhang-history-and-recipes\">Bhang<\/a>, a drink made of cannabis, warm milk, nuts, and spices, was a common remedy for ailments and also thought to be a favorite food of the god Shiva. Bhang was considered highly effective at relieving anxiety and is still consumed in sacred contexts such as during the Holi festival.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Other medicinal and sacred preparations of cannabis include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/cannabis-glossary\/ganja\">ganja<\/a>, or smoking the female flowers, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/cannabis-101\/what-is-charas-marijuana-concentrate\">charas<\/a>, rolled balls of hash that are smoked. These forms of cannabis are still consumed in the present day, albeit under the radar.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/science-tech\/2500-year-old-bong-suggests-ancient-chinese-used-cannabis-at-funerals\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>2,500-Year-Old Bong Suggests Ancient Chinese Got High at Funerals<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-shemshemet-in-ancient-egypt\">Shemshemet in ancient Egypt<\/h2>\n<p>Historians tell us that cannabis found its way to Egypt from Central Asia, with <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30417354\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">medical records<\/a> written on papyrus in 1550 BCE highlighting the plant\u2019s anti-inflammatory properties and its use as an aid in childbirth. The Egyptians administered cannabis creatively\u2014by the mouth and skin, but also by the rectum, vagina, and in the eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Many scholars think a word found in many Egyptian hieroglyphs, \u201cshemshemet,\u201d refers to a plant used both for rope and medicine\u2014likely hemp. Remains of the plant have also been found in the tombs of pharaohs, including Akhenaten, or Amenhotep IV, who lived around 1335 BCE, and Ramses II, who lived from 1303\u20131212 BCE.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-scythians-of-central-asia\">The Scythians of Central Asia<\/h2>\n<p>The Scythians were an ancient nomadic people who lived around 600 BCE \u2013 400 CE, in a large expanse of land in Central Asia, between the Black Sea and Siberia. Greek historian Herodotus observed a \u201cScythian vapor bath,\u201d in which people would sit inside a tent and place cannabis and heated rocks in wooden braziers\u2014perhaps the world\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/lifestyle\/worlds-first-hot-box-cannabis-ancient-world\">first recorded hot box<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left is-style-plain\">\n<p>The \u201cSiberian Ice Maiden\u201d dates back to 500 BCE and is believed to have treated her breast cancer with cannabis. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2015\/06\/01\/solid-gold-bongs-scythians-cannabis-seriously-indeed_n_7483958.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Two gold bongs<\/a> dating to around 600 BCE were also found in Central Asia and are thought to belong to the Scythians.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A mummified body of a woman was also found in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia, dating back to around 500 BCE. Named the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/reel\/video\/p0b5vtbj\/the-mystery-of-siberia-s-2-500-year-old-ice-maiden-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Siberian Ice Maiden<\/a>,\u201d she was buried with a pouch of cannabis. An MRI scan in the present revealed she had breast cancer; scientists theorize that she might have used cannabis for her condition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/lifestyle\/worlds-first-hot-box-cannabis-ancient-world\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>The world\u2019s first hot box, and other uses of cannabis in the ancient World<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-cannabis-in-greece-and-rome\">Cannabis in Greece and Rome<\/h2>\n<p>Greeks and Romans commonly used cannabis for rope and sails, and the earliest surviving <a href=\"https:\/\/saltonverde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/17-Handbook_cannabis_therapeutics_from_bench_to_bedside.pdf#page=42\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">account of medicinal cannabis<\/a> among the Greeks is an entry in the <em>De materia medica<\/em>, written by the physician Dioscorides, around the first century CE. Dioscorides sings the plant\u2019s praises as a treatment for earache and offers specific instructions of how cannabis medicine should be prepared as a juice from young, green cannabis seeds.<\/p>\n<p>Dioscorides\u2019 recognition of cannabis as a medicine was followed closely by Pliny the Elder\u2019s entry in <em>Naturalis Historia <\/em>&nbsp;in 77 CE. Pliny discussed the medical use of cannabis for aching joints, gout, and burns.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30417354\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Galen<\/a>, physician to Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who lived in the second century CE, warned of eating too many cakes containing hemp seeds, which were known to be popular at Roman banquets for their ability to create relaxation, hilarity, and euphoria. He said they also induced thirst, made one sluggish, and made it difficult to digest.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-hashish-in-the-arab-and-persian-worlds\">Hashish in the Arab and Persian worlds<\/h2>\n<p>Several hundred years later, in an area that was once part of the Roman Empire, Arabic scholars al-Mayusi (living around 1000 CE) and al-Badri (living in the 15th century CE) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1300\/J175v01n01_05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">called attention to cannabis<\/a> as an effective treatment for epilepsy. Additionally, Avicenna, a highly regarded Persian scholar who published his celebrated <em>Canon of Medicine<\/em> in 1025 CE, acknowledged cannabis as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4469963\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">useful treatment<\/a> for pain relief, gout, edema, infectious wounds, and eye inflammation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-right is-style-plain\">\n<p>Persian scholars were some of the first to note that a little bit of THC can create positive effects, but a lot can create different, possibly negative, effects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Persian scholars had a sophisticated understanding of marijuana and were aware of its <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/7024492\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">biphasic effects<\/a> at different doses\u2014how a little bit of THC can create positive effects, but a lot can create different, possibly negative, effects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Also, the first cannabis edible is thought to have originated in Morocco: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/lifestyle\/worlds-first-hot-box-cannabis-ancient-world\">mahjoun<\/a>, a sweet treat filled with hash. A traditional version includes a paste of figs, dates, and hash, covered with nuts and other flavorings such as honey, rosewater, sea salt, turmeric, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and lavender.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-cannabis-in-africa\">Cannabis in Africa<\/h2>\n<p>The plant is widely believed to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scielo.br\/j\/rbp\/a\/ZcwCkpVxkDVRdybmBGGd5NN\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">been introduced<\/a> to East Africa from India and the Middle East by Arabic traders, at least since the 1400s. Cannabis was known to be a part of the culture of enslaved Africans in Brazil, presumably brought over from Africa, especially the area of Angola today, in West Africa.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-weed-in-europe\">Weed in Europe<\/h2>\n<p>Cannabis may have arrived in Europe via the Scythians of Central Asia, with the plant possibly making its way from east to west via the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/2096440-founders-of-western-civilisation-were-prehistoric-dope-dealers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bronze Road<\/a>,\u201d which would later become known as the Silk Road. Hemp has also been found in Germanic burials dating back to 500 BCE.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the 8th-15th centuries CE, after cannabis had made its way to the Middle East from its origins in Central Asia, Arabic traders are thought to have spread the plant throughout North Africa and into Spain, which were parts of various Arab or Berber states.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Anglo Saxon<em> Old English Herbarium<\/em> was one of the first texts to document cannabis usage in Europe, written in the 11th century CE. The <em>Herbarium<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1002\/jcp.27725\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">describes cannabis<\/a> as an anesthetic and pain reliever, and was also used to help with gout, urinary infections, childbirth issues, and weight loss.<\/p>\n<p>Cannabis is also mentioned in the 12th century medical texts of German <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1002\/jcp.27725\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hildegard von Bingen<\/a>, seer, scholar, physician, and abbess.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>More <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1002\/jcp.27725\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">records of cannabis<\/a> occur in 1484, in a papal bull condemning the plant, issued by Pope Innocent VIII. However, several maritime republics are thought to have ignored it, as they relied on the plant\u2019s fiber for making rope and sails. During the Italian Renaissance it was used for paper and canvas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hemp medicinal usage was also recorded in <a href=\"http:\/\/citeseerx.ist.psu.edu\/viewdoc\/download?doi=10.1.1.328.8294&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">medical texts<\/a> in England as early as the 1500s, during the reign of the Tudors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Smoking cannabis for its psychoactive effects, in particular hashish, became popular in Europe after Napoleon\u2019s 1798 campaign in Egypt, where French troops were encouraged to <a href=\"https:\/\/thereader.mitpress.mit.edu\/a-brief-global-history-of-the-war-on-cannabis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">embrace hashish<\/a>. Bringing the plant back home, cannabis use spread throughout Europe in the modern age, where it was used to treat a variety of ailments.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/lifestyle\/women-in-history-cannabis-mysticism\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>4 women in history who used cannabis for mysticism<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-weed-spreads-to-the-americas\">Weed spreads to the Americas<\/h2>\n<p>Cannabis hopped across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas a few different ways. It was first thought to have crossed over via the Spanish, after their invasion of the Americas beginning in 1492.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-right is-style-plain\">\n<p>Cannabis is believed to have first come to the Americas via the Spanish, during their invasions beginning in 1492.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Hemp is thought to have <a href=\"https:\/\/biblioteca.matinhocheiroso.com\/Cannabis\/Cannabis%20Evolution%20and%20Ethnobotany%20-%20Robert%20C.%20Clarke%20&amp;%20Mark%20D.%20Merlin%20-%209780520270480.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first shown up<\/a> in North America in the early 1500s, when Hern\u00e1n Cort\u00e9s and his Spanish soldiers invaded Mexico. Soldier Pedro Cuadrado and a friend started a successful business growing hemp there. However, in 1550, a Spanish governor restricted production because the locals were getting high with the plant rather than using it for rope and textiles.<\/p>\n<p>Further north in the 13 colonies, King James I of England enacted a royal decree in 1611 that instructed the colonists of Jamestown, Virginia, to grow hemp. Hemp was a valuable crop for many colonists, as it could be used to make rope, sails, clothes, textiles, and other materials.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As mentioned previously, cannabis is also thought to have come to South America, in particular Brazil, via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scielo.br\/scielo.php?pid=S1516-44462006000200015&amp;script=sci_arttext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">enslaved Africans<\/a>, around the 16th century. After the abolition of slavery in British colonies in 1834, it is thought that <a href=\"https:\/\/biblioteca.matinhocheiroso.com\/Cannabis\/Cannabis%20Evolution%20and%20Ethnobotany%20-%20Robert%20C.%20Clarke%20&amp;%20Mark%20D.%20Merlin%20-%209780520270480.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Indian indentured servants<\/a> brought cannabis to the Caribbean. \u201cGanja,\u201d a term originating in India, became especially popular in Jamaica, a British colony at the time, where it is still commonly consumed today.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/legalization\/marijuana-illegal-history\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>The history of cannabis prohibition in the United States<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-medical-cannabis-in-the-west-in-modern-times\">Medical cannabis in the West in modern times<\/h2>\n<p>As interest in cannabis increased in the 19th century, the plant was brought to the attention of Western medicine in 1839, when Irish doctor William O\u2019Shaughnessy published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2490264\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>On the Preparations of the Indian Hemp, or Gunjah<\/em><\/a>. He had worked in India and experimented with the plant and its uses there, noting its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scielo.br\/scielo.php?pid=S1516-44462006000200015&amp;script=sci_arttext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">success as a treatment<\/a> for rheumatism, convulsions, and spasms associated with tetanus and rabies.<\/p>\n<p>In France, psychiatrist Jacques-Joseph Moreau experimented with hash, theorizing that it could help treat mental illness. Moreau wrote a book called <em>Hashish and Mental Illness<\/em>. The work of O\u2019Shaughnessy and Moreau had a significant impact on Western medicine.<\/p>\n<p>In the latter half of the 19th century, more than 100 studies were conducted on the plant, and pharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe began creating and marketing cannabis tinctures. Medicines containing cannabis became widely available to the general public, with many brands claiming to cure a variety of ailments.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, views of cannabis began to shift and many countries began outlawing the plant, most notably, the US. <\/p>\n<p>To continue the story of cannabis and how it was criminalized, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/legalization\/marijuana-illegal-history\">History of cannabis prohibition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/the-origins-of-weed-how-the-plant-spread-across-the-world.jpg\" alt=\"Emma Stone and Pat Goggins's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Emma Stone and Pat Goggins<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Emma Stone is a journalist based in New Zealand specializing in cannabis, health, and well-being. She has a Ph.D. in sociology and has worked as a researcher and lecturer, but loves being a writer most of all. She would happily spend her days writing, reading, wandering outdoors, eating and swimming.<\/p>\n<p>Pat Goggins is an editor at Leafly, specializing in cannabis cultivation after working for a commercial grower in Oregon for two years. When not fixing typos, you\u2019ll probably find him on a boat or in the mountains.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/emma-stone-and-pat-goggins\">View Emma Stone and Pat Goggins&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2022-03-18 03:50:06 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The origins of weed: How the plant spread across the world | Leafly Link copied to your clipboard Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Cannabis has grown and evolved with humans for thousands of years. Many separate cultures cultivated the plant, using its seeds for food, its fibers to make textiles, rope, and other materials, and its buds as&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/the-origins-of-weed-how-the-plant-spread-across-the-world.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}