The plant named Hemp was given great importance in ancient civilizations such as Egyptian Civilization, Mesopotamian Civilization, Indus Valley Civilization, and Chinese Civilization, as well as in Judaism, Tao, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, and all ethnic religious group religions around the world. It's also been utilised in medicine.
Most of people believe that hemp is used for intoxication or narcotics, despite the fact that Hemp has been a significant part of Ayurvedic medicine for millennia. Ayurveda describes Ganja(Hemp) as a treatment for tuberculosis (TB). Hemp is used to treat nausea, psoriasis, labour pain, and even leprosy, albeit there is only one therapy for leprosy,Hemp, which is described in the Atharva Veda.
Atharva Veda not only mentions Cannabis to be one of the five sacred plants but signifies cannabis leaves as the guardian angel. Other references alluding to the ancient historical use of Cannabis in the ancient Indian culture can be found in Rig-Veda, Sushruta Samhita and the Mahabharata...
Very few people are aware that hemp has a significant role in Ayurvedic medicine.
For thousands of years, our ancestors have grown hemp and used it in their daily lives. Their ancient methods can teach us a lot about health and wellness through natural elements for our modern culture. Surprisingly, cannabis use transcends cultural divides. Almost every society in the globe has employed hemp in some form for its medicinal properties, according to written history. Let's take a look back in time to see what part hemp has had in human history.
Let's get
right to the point
1. Hemp and Cannabis' Medicinal History
- Cannabis' Geographical Distribution
- Indian Names For Cannabis
2. Cannabis Diversity3. Cannabis's Traditional Use
- Cannabis vs. Pharmaceuticals in Traditional Medicine
4. The History of Hemp Around the World
- 10,000 BC: Japan
- 3,000 BC: Chinese Hemp
- 2,000 BC: Egyptian Hemp
- 1,000 AD: Arabic Hemp
- Medieval France
- At this moment
5. References
1. Hemp and Cannabis' Medicinal History
The ancient Egyptians used hemp (cannabis) in suppositories for relieving the pain of hemorrhoids. Around 2,000 BCE, the ancient Egyptians used cannabis to treat sore eye.
With the recent surge in interest in hemp for health and other uses, it's important to realise that cannabis is not a new drug. It has been used in various parts of the world for a long time, from Ancient Egypt and China to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Before delving into the potential holistic hemp benefits, it's helpful to review some background information.
Hemp is a Cannabis cultivar that has been grown practically everywhere in the world since ancient times. It has mostly been used as a fibre source for garments and ropes. Hemp hasn't been thought of as a medication in most fiber-producing regions. This is due to the fact that fibre hemp lacks the flowers that contain the therapeutic ingredients.
- Cannabis' Geographical Distribution
Hemp is said to be one of the first plants to be cultivated. Cannabis has been grown in Japan from the pre-Neolithic period for its fibres, food, and potentially as a hallucinogenic substance. Cannabis achenes were discovered at an archaeological site near Japan's Oki Islands around 8000 BC, indicating that the plant was used. Hemp has been used in China since the Neolithic period, with hemp fibre imprints found on Yangshao culture pottery reaching back to the 5th millennium BC. Hemp was later employed by the Chinese to create clothing, shoes, ropes, and an early type of paper.
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| A woodblock print from the 17th century shows women preparing the fibers from cannabis plants. |
Cannabis was a significant crop in ancient Korea, as evidenced by the discovery of hempen fabric samples dating back over a thousand years.
Cannabinoid, terpenoid, and flavonoid content in cannabis plants is affected by geographic and climatic conditions. After a while, a unique variety of "Indian hemp" emerged. As a result, researchers discovered that cannabis, specifically its resin, exhibited considerable pharmacological effects. These effects appear to have originally been observed in the Himalayan region of Central Asia. Then, over time, this knowledge went to India, Minor Asia, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the rest of Africa. [Russo]
- Indian Names For Cannabis
Hemp is called ganja (Sanskrit: गञ्जा,) in Sanskrit and other modern Indo-Aryan languages. Some scholars suggest that the ancient drug soma, mentioned in the Vedas, was cannabis, although this theory is disputed. Bhanga is mentioned in several Indian texts dated before 1000 CE. However, there is philological debate among Sanskrit scholars as to whether this bhanga can be identified with modern bhang or cannabis.
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| A hemp drug shop in Kandesh, 1894, displaying bhang, ganja and majum |
- Bhang is a seeded mixture of cannabis flowers, leaves, and stems
- Ganja (aka Sinsemilla in the US) is seedless unfertilized female flowering tops
- Charas (aka Hashish in Arabic) is made by rubbing or sifting off cannabis resin gland (trichomes) from the cannabis flowers; the resulting pollen or keif is then pressed
2. Cannabis Diversity
Selective breeding occurs when humans choose to reproduce or breed plants in order to emphasise specific characteristics. Cannabis, for example, has essentially co-evolved with humans as a result of selective breeding.
According to Ethan Russo (2007):
“In the last generation of controlled indoor growing, selective breeding of cannabis drug strains has favoured more intoxicated types. In previous generations, cannabis fields in places like Morocco and Afghanistan would generate almost equal amounts of THC and CBD in sifted trichome samples. Conversely, due to selective breeding for THC content in the previous two decades, cannabidiol has nearly disappeared from North American and European drug strains. The scarcity of CBD in today's illicit market cannabis strains has ramifications for medicinal efficacy and tolerability.”
3. Cannabis's Traditional Use
Cannabis has been utilised for medical and non-medical purposes throughout history. Cannabis hemp variants were used for fabric, rope, paper, and construction in various parts of the world, including China and Egypt. This type of industrial hemp produces more fiberous stems rather than cannabinoid-rich flowers, as opposed to the CBD-rich industrial hemp.
Cannabis was also used as a therapeutic substance in traditional medicine, and many of its applications were comparable to those for which it is currently being debated in modern society. It had sedative, relaxing, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant qualities, making it effective for the treatment of alcohol and opiate withdrawal; it had analgesic, antipyretic, and antibacterial characteristics; and it was used to increase hunger and relieve diarrhoea.
A steady movement from medications with changeable composition to the use of pure active components with precise composition, stability, dosage, and pharmacology has characterised the journey from pharmaceuticals to hemp for holistic wellbeing. Due to its unknown individual effects, unforeseen effects, unregulated production, and fundamental differences from pharmaceuticals, cannabis still faces numerous challenges as a modern medication.
Hemp confronts comparable difficulties, but it has the advantage of being naturally low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which means it does not get people high. Hemp contains a cannabinoid called cannabidiol (CBD), which means it may provide the natural benefits of cannabis with fewer side effects.
- Cannabis vs. Pharmaceuticals in Traditional Medicine
Cannabis, including hemp, is fundamentally different from pharmaceutical medications, and in most places and under most laws, it is not regarded a medicine. Medical marijuana programmes attempt to bridge this divide, but regulators, users, doctors, and cannabis companies must all recognise that cannabis is its own form of "medicine." Regulations must evaluate how it can be produced and used safely because it cannot match pharmaceutical production requirements. Consumers should also expect a non-standardized product with a wide range of effects and quality, and dosing that requires trial and error.
The natural diversity of hemp and cannabis is both a blessing and a curse. The user's expectations, product selections, and usage behaviours account for a large portion of the perceived advantages. While discovering a natural home treatment might be a godsend, the side effects, drug interactions, and unpleasant effects of cannabis and hemp can all lead to negative situations.
4. The History of Hemp Around the World
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| Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/history-medical-cannabis-shown-one-giant-map |
- 10,000 BC: Japan
The earliest evidence of cannabis use and production may be found in Japan during the Jomon Period (10,000 BC – 300 BC). Cave paintings depicting clearly visible cannabis plants, including towering stems and identifiable leaves, have been discovered by archaeologists. The plants, which were most likely cannabis-sativa (hemp) species, had a variety of essential applications that aided prehistoric Japan's survival. Hemp's tough fibres were used to make garments for harsh climates, bow strings, and fishing lines.
The first physical evidence of cannabis and hemp use was discovered in pre-Neolithic Japan at an archaeological site in the Oki Islands (8000 BC). Archeologists discovered an abundance of cannabis achenes (dried fruits of the cannabis plant), indicating the plant's cultural relevance.
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| 5,000 year old hemp cord marked pot |
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| Source: https://claritycannabis.ca/early-history-cannabis-part-3/ |
As a result, hemp is one of the earliest crops in human history. Hemp predates the wheel and writing, according to all relevant evidence.
- 3,000 BC: Chinese Hemp
In 2737 BC, Chinese Emperor Shen Hung recorded the first usage of hemp for therapeutic purposes. He wrote of hemp's remarkable ability to alleviate his rheumatism and gout. Every portion of the plant was employed by several ancient east Asian tribes.
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Emperor Shen Nung The Chinese ideogram for marijuana (“ma”) shows two plants, male and female, under a drying shed. (Drawing from Cannabis in Medical Practice, M. L. Mathre, ed., McFarland and Company, Inc., 1997, p. 36.) |
Hemp roots were ground into powder for medication, the stem fibres were woven into textiles, rope, and paper, and the blossoms were consumed for pleasure and medicine. The seeds were also eaten and used to make oil.
- 2,000 BC: Egyptian Hemp
As early as 2000 BC, the Egyptians recorded the medical properties of the hemp plant. The Egyptians recognised the plant's capacity to heal eye sores and cataracts. Pollen from the Cannabis plant has been discovered on the mummies of many Egyptian pharaohs, including Ramesses II.
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| There are documents dating marijuana in this African country back in 2000 BC |
- 1,000 AD: Arabic Hemp
From the eighth until the eighteenth centuries, Arabic physicians used the hemp plant's medicinal benefits.
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| Folio from an Arabic manuscript of Dioscorides, De materia medica, 1229 |
The following medical qualities are listed in written records: diuretic, antiemetic, anti-epileptic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic.
- Medieval France
The hemp plant was well-known in mediaeval France for its medicinal and recreational properties.
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| Ancient Europe |
- At this moment
We continue to uncover new uses for the hemp plant in modern times. Our society has polarised the use of hemp during the previous 100 years. We can now see our current expectations and misperceptions about hemp as a blip on the timeline of humanity.
5. References
- Economic Botany Oct-Dec 1974 p437 “An Archaeological and Historical Account of Cannabis in China by Hui Lin Li
- Economic Botany Jul-Sep 1974 p293 “The Origin and Use of Cannabis in Eastern Asia Linguistic-Cultural Implications” By Hui Lin Li
- Abel EL. 1980. Marihuana: The First Twelve Thousand Years. New York: Plenum; Aldrich MR. 1997. “History of therapeutic cannabis,” in Cannabis in Medical Practice, Mathre ML, ed. Jefferson, NC: McFarland; Grinspoon L and Bakalar JB. 1997. Marihuana: The Forbidden Medicine. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
- Clarke, R. C., & Merlin, M. D. (2016). Cannabis domestication, breeding history, present-day genetic diversity, and future prospects. Critical reviews in plant sciences, 35(5-6), 293-327. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07352689.2016.1267498
- Russo, E. B. (2007). History of cannabis and its preparations in saga, science, and sobriquet. Chemistry & biodiversity, 4(8), 1614-1648. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cbdv.200790144