Cannabis has a very interesting history. Not only that, but it also has become a very polarizing topic. While some people believe that the cannabis plant has amazing healing properties and a multitude of health benefits, other people believe that it has no medicinal purposes and cannot treat medical patients. But what is the history of cannabis? Has it always been such a polarizing issue? Well, cannabis has a fascinating history as a healing plant.
For almost 5,000 years, marijuana was seen as a healing herb by many different civilizations. Many medical researchers and healers throughout history have supported the healing properties of marijuana. Nowadays there seems to be quite a controversy about cannabis in our country. While it is slowly becoming more accepted through the United States, especially as a form of medication and treatment, there is still a bad stigma associated with marijuana that it cannot seem to completely outrun.
So when did the pro-medicinal cannabis movement start? Just in the early 2000s when it became more popular? You may be surprised to know that marijuana was being researched and used heavily as far back as the first century. Pedanius Dioscorides, a botanist and physician from Greece, studied the cannabis plant very intensively and used cannabis seeds to reduce sexual desire. Apparently, Rome must have had a huge issue with that sort of thing.
Later on in the history timeline, we see that the Egyptians also used cannabis. The first mention of marijuana by the Egyptians was in 2350 BC and it was called “shemshemet”. In ancient Egypt, cannabis was frequently used for medicinal purposes and was administered to patients in a variety of forms. It was also sold for a variety of purposes like pain relief, antiseptics, eye medications, and even used during surgeries.
Marijuana was also culturally viewed as a means of curing women who suffer from mood disorders. It is also important to point out that being “high” was very prestigious, as cannabis was an expensive herb that could only be afforded by the upper class.
However, marijuana was not always viewed in such a positive light by other cultures in history. During the 14th through 17th centuries, some women who preferred to use natural herbs and plants as a form of medical care were seen as witches in Europe. Consequently, many were executed by priests and citizens who feared witchcraft.
Cannabis was a component that was often used in various medicinal mixtures to treat patients. Interestingly, a priest and scientist during the 18th century named Jose Antonio Alzate y Ramirez became very vocal and public about the medical use of cannabis. This guy even grew a strain of marijuana himself and marketed it for the treatment of jaundice, tinnitus, tumors, depression, and abdominal pain. Does any of that sound familiar? The fact that so many of us throughout history have realized cannabis’ healing properties is a sure sign that it is truly a natural medicine.
Hopefully, the modern day United States can come to view it as such as well. We are already making cannabis much more accessible throughout our country, so we are taking the right steps to get to where we need to be. After all, history has shown that marijuana is truly a miracle plant. The reason that marijuana attained such an awful stigma is due to some point in the 1950s. There were significant culture shifts, and parents began to worry about the independence of their children letting them get into the wrong thing. The federal government actually regulated marijuana in 1937 after passing the Marijuana Tax Act.
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