It all started with a single seed. That seed grew into a plant and eventually made its way around the world, growing in popularity as decades went by. Researchers say the history of marijuana has been around since the Viking and Ancient China days—but where exactly did it come from? And how did it spread like wildfire around the world?
The First People to Grow Marijuana
Cannabis plants in all their forms (sativa, indica, and hemp) are believed to have originated in Central Asia, specifically the regions that we now know as Mongolia and Southern Siberia. The history of cannabis goes back 12,000 years ago. According to Live Science, "Both hemp and psychoactive marijuana were used widely in ancient China, Warf wrote. The first record of the drug's medicinal use dates to 4000 B.C. The herb was used, for instance, as an anesthetic during the surgery, and stories say it was even used by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2737 B.C."
How Marijuana Spread to Other Countries
Soon after its popularity in China, cannabis spread to other parts of Asia including Korea and the Middle East between 2000 B.C. and 1400 B.C. An ancient group of Eurasian Nomadic settlers, known as the Scythians, then transported the plant into Russia and Ukraine. Then marijuana spread to Germany and later Britain during the 5th century. Keep in mind that a handful of these territories were constantly fought over, invaded, and occupied by settlers from other regions. This back-and-forth between natives and outsiders helped cannabis reach new parts of the world as invaders often brought the plant back home with them.
History of Marijuana in Canada
At the beginning of the 20th century, weed reached Canada alongside broader North American trends, as cannabis use grew across the continent. The media of the era was quick to associate marijuana with immigrant communities in a negative light. "Many early prejudices against marijuana were thinly veiled racist fears of its smokers, often promulgated by reactionary newspapers. Certain communities were frequently blamed for smoking marijuana, property crimes, seducing children and engaging in murderous sprees."
Canada's First Marijuana Laws
Because of its negative connotation in the press, Canada moved to restrict cannabis under the Opium and Narcotic Drug Act, with marijuana added to the list of prohibited substances in 1923. It's remarkable to look back at how far the country has come since those early days of prohibition. Canada made history by becoming one of the first major nations to fully legalise recreational cannabis nationwide, when the Cannabis Act came into force on October 17, 2018. Today, adult-use cannabis is legal in all provinces and territories, including
- British Columbia
- Alberta
- Ontario
- Québec
- Manitoba
The War on Drugs
You've probably heard about The War on Drugs before. It refers to the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act established in the United States in 1970. "This included a statute, the Controlled Substances Act, that created categories for controlled substances determined by their medicinal use and addictive qualities," according to Shop Botanist. The act effectively classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 Drug in the United States, influencing drug policy around the world for decades.
A section of the Act reads, "Since there is still a considerable void in our knowledge of the plant and effects of the active drug contained in it, our recommendation is that marijuana is retained within schedule 1 at least until the completion of certain studies now underway to resolve the issue."
Seeing how much we now know about cannabis and how it affects us, it's worth reflecting on how far we've come since those early days of prohibition. Cannabis education was sorely lacking back then. Nobody knew if it was harmful or dangerous; the same way no one knew the deadly effects of cigarettes until studies came out. It made sense to restrict marijuana decades ago…but Canada has since recognised the importance of giving people the freedom of choice to partake in marijuana or not, and the Cannabis Act stands as a reflection of that progress.
Class is officially out of session. What did you find most interesting about the history of marijuana? Learn anything new with today's blog? We sure hope so!
