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What is the History of Cannabis in Western Culture?
Cannabis has been used in a myriad of ways throughout history and across the globe. It has been used for recreation, medicine and religion. While the first records of hemp’s medicinal uses can be traced back to China, there has been frequent reference to the plant and its various effects throughout Western history.
Cannabis in the Ancient World
Cannabis is directly or indirectly mentioned by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. The Ebers papyrus, written around 1500 BC in Egypt, is the world’s oldest medical book. The list of natural remedies includes a formula for menstrual cramps: cannabis was to be ‘ground in honey’ and applied ‘to cool the uterus and eliminate its heat’.
In the 1990s, it was discovered that the remains of mummified Egyptians contain significant amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The compound was detected in the remains of Ramses the Great, a Pharao in 1213 BCE, leading researchers to conclude that Pharaos smoked marijuana for ceremonial purposes.
Writers from ancient Greece also made mention of cannabis, with Homer describing a medication from the plains of Egypt. In the Odyssey, he writes of a drug that ‘dispels pain, calms anger, and makes men forgetful of troubles’.1 According to the story, Helen served the Egyptian medication to Greek soldiers who had painful memories of comrades killed in the Trojan War. There is debate about whether Homer is alluding to cannabis or Opium.
It is known, however, that the Scythians and Assyrians, cultures parallel to the Greek Empire, used cannabis. The Scythians reportedly took part in an early version of hot-boxing, inhaling smoke vapours from hemp plants in communal tents. The Assyrians, on the other hand, burned cannabis incense at funerals and in children’s rooms in order to ward off evil spirits. The Romans too alluded to uses of hemp for everything from making nets to consuming in small cakes.
The Rise and Fall of Cannabis in Modern Europe
Europeans rediscovered the many benefits of cannabis in the early 19th century. In the age of European colonialism and discovery, adventurers observed the use of hemp in India and the Middle East, and scholars translated Arabic medicinal books that referred to the plant.
Cannabis became popular in the UK, with Queen Victoria’s physician prescribing the medicine for menstrual cramps. The Queen reportedly took cannabis drops in small pieces of sugar or bread. Empress Elisabeth of Austria was also prescribed this medication for a recurrent cough, and to increase her appetite.
However, the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes went out of fashion just as quickly as it came into it. Firstly, it was displaced when newly discovered sedative drugs, such as aspirin, became popular. More importantly, the drug faced a political backlash from a prohibition-era international community.
An international drugs conference held in Geneva in 1928 saw the Egyptian delegation alleging that the plant was as dangerous as opium. Delegate Mohammed El Guindy argued that ‘Hashish addicts … are useless derelicts’.1 The use of Cannabis was officially on the out when The United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs placed marijuana under the strictest possible regime, along with cocaine and heroin.
After its long history and resulting prohibition in the West, the use of cannabis evokes a range of mixed sentiments. Recreational use of the plant has come to be associated with specific races and social classes, often for the purpose of re-enforcing discrimination and persecution of groups of people. However, perceptions are changing. Cannabis is now legal in 18 of America’s 50 states. In the UK, products that have the calming effect of plant, such as CBD oil or hemp oil, can be legally bought as food supplements.