Introduction

Mankind’s history is steeped in the mythology of the use of a plant for its medicinal properties, utilized to treat physical ailments, as well as hemp to make clothing and rope, and in some cultures for religious ceremonies and spiritual practices related to its psychoactive characteristics.  Individuals of different races, creeds, religions, languages, and political perspectives partook in this aromatic plant across the globe. Our history as a species has always included this plant, called marijuana, cannabis, ganja (from India meaning flower) or bhang (from India meaning the leaves and seeds for edibles).  Why may you ask?  Because life back in the day was grueling, difficult, filled with hardship, long periods of a significant other away at sea and remiss of any conveniences of our modern world today.   

An assortment of characters made up the cadre of individuals who partook and benefited from this botanical resource.  This informal collection of individuals came from all walks of life, from nobility to the commoner, to the wife, priest, seaman, explorers, to craftsmen, pirates, Indians, cowboys, slaves, and swindlers.  The effect of this plant became an indelible mark on our history thanks to our oral tradition over time.  No continent or country escaped the influence and excitement of cannabis as its effects helped to bring levity and perspective to an otherwise ongoing struggle of daily life.  The purpose of this article is to familiarize the reader of the global impact of cannabis from our ancient history.  A walk from China to India, the slave trade in Africa, the United Kingdom and America, and concluding with the Revolutionary War and Hemp.  Understanding the influence of a plant, its impact across cultures and continents and the cast of characters that carried the message is the jest of this editorial piece.   

China and India

 Ancient China was instrumental in cannabis domestication, production and use in trade, originating before 10,000 BCE.  Northwestern China then spread their influence of the value of this botanical to the rest of Asia, India, and throughout Eurasia. The age of the cannabis flower has been documented with archaeological evidence found in pottery at that time in southern China, Taiwan, and Japan.    

The Chinese Emperor Fu Hsi is credited to introducing civilized living to China. Emperor Fu Hsi called marijuana “Ma,” the Chinese word for cannabis. He noted that cannabis was a popular medicine and as a plant integrated both the yin and yang of life. The term Ma, coined in 2700 BCE, referred specifically to the hemp plant.  It was Emperor Shen Nung that discovered the healing properties of marijuana in 2700 BCE.  Emperor Nung was given the name “The Father of Chinese Medicine” as he developed the first Chinese medical pharmacopeia which included cannabis.  He identified over 100 aliments in writing that were positively impacted with the use of Ma. Some of the aliments listed were gout, rheumatism, malaria, and absent-mindedness. Emperor Shen Nung was strategic in creating a compendium of drug recipes for several conditions.  Most cannabis in China was hemp used for clothing, fishing nets, rope and paper: the seeds were used for medicine.Antiquity is associated with cannabis.  The first-time cannabis was notated in India was in the Vedas, an ancient Hindu text, which is the earliest written history of cannabis dating back to 2000 BCE.  According to Veda tradition, cannabis is considered among the five sacred plants and referred to as bhang.   Bhang was given to individuals during Hindu ceremonies and incorporated in food.  The classification in the Vedas text stated cannabis to be the "source of happiness," and "joygiver".  Longevity was associated with this plant, which had an important role in Indian social life as a recreational, a religious sacrament, and as a household remedy.

The Slave Trade in Africa

Cannabis as a plant crossed the Atlantic Ocean with the human exploitation of slaves from Africa.  These traumatized survivors required relief, so cannabis was the antidote to deal with their anxiety, trauma, and other disorders as reported by a British physician in 1840. African slaves saw this plant as a drug.  The slaves were the transporters of Indica seeds they meticulously harvested, dried, and secured for the long-wet journey ahead.    Written history was scant so the accounts for Africa are less than robust regarding cannabis’ role and influence in that country.  

Both explorers from Arabia and India exposed the Africans to cannabis. Oral histories from Brazil, Jamaica, Liberia, and Sierra Leone validate the fact that enslaved central Africans carried cannabis.  A French American explorer named Gabon observed slaves carefully preserving seeds with the intention of planting them in the new world for profit.  

Cannabis use in Africa continues to be portrayed in individuals who are seen as socially marginalized from Morocco to Nigeria.  Most European travelers noted their porters to smoke cannabis before beginning their day to wake them up and warm their bodies, so they were ready to work.  Cannabis in Africa was a symptom of exploitation and inequity.  The harsh reality of a slave’s life demanded the comfort and perspective of cannabis to survive, function and to continue the same process the next day.  

United Kingdom and America

The widespread cultivation of cannabis did not begin until the 1800s under British rule, hemp started to be found throughout the world.  It was an era of sea power for England, France, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese fleets with maritime ships outfitted with ropes, sails, and nets coming from hemp.  The ocean vessels did not want their equipment rotting from sea water, so hemp was the answer.  

Hemp is a strain of cannabis that is bred to make fiber, used in the construction of clothing, for ships, oils and topical ointments, and nutritional benefits without intoxication.  The difference between hemp and marijuana is based on the level of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC percentage in the plant, hemp can only have less than 0.3% THC.  

In 1830 Dr. William O’Shaughnessy introduced cannabis to England after a long stay in India.  He was an Irish physician, assistant surgeon, and professor of chemistry at a prominent university in India, who experimented on animals using cannabis to gauge cannabis toxicity.  He conducted what was the first clinical trials with cannabis. While his initial subjects were in animals, he started to experiment with alcohol tinctures containing cannabis in humans. Only in humans could he produce the inebriating effects with his cannabis tinctures and saw medical benefits in the patients he served.  

Hemp was indispensable to the exploration of the globe, trade, and mercantilism. During this time hemp was to colonial trade and transportation what oil is to commerce in the present time.   When the thirteen colonies were getting established, farmers were required to produce twenty-five percent hemp crops which were needed for sails, ropes, paper, and clothing.  

A period of 200 years (1620-1820), hemp was the most important crop in America.  In 1850 the U.S. Census Bureau in America reported over 8,327 cannabis plantations which accounted for over 7,000 acres at each location.  Our forefathers new the value and medical merits of cannabis and hemp, therefore, their backyard gardens were busy growing this amazing plant for industrial and recreational purposes.

The Revolutionary War and Hemp

The Revolutionary War success, which concluded in 1763, was attributed to the “Spinning Bees” organized by the woman at the time (wives, mothers, and daughters who stayed with the soldiers) to keep Washington’s troops clothed and protected from the cold.  Hemp was the material spun and sewn for the clothing for the soldiers, without hemp, the Continental Army would have frozen to death at Valley Forge.

At the worst point, three months into the war, the army listed 2,898 men as unfit for duty due to a lack of clothing. During this time, well-equipped units took the place of their poorly dressed comrades and patrolled, foraged, and defended the camp. The impact of hemp in the war fueled the interest in this substance for its health benefits.

In the 1800s, both medicine and pharmacy were unorthodox, unorganized and in the United States, loosely unregulated.  The American Medical Association was created in 1847, yet medical schools were found over garages or behind butcher shops.  By 1840, marijuana became a predominant ingredient in many over-the-counter medications and was accepted in mainstream medicine.  Then in 1850, marijuana was added to the U.S. pharmacopeia as a remedy for opioid withdrawal, pain, appetite recovery, and resolution of nausea and vomiting.

Conclusion

 In summary, cannabis circumnavigated the globe through nomadic travels connecting all mankind.  The world at large celebrated its medicinal properties, loved its mood-altering effect in the body and counted on its ability to sustain one’s energy for another day of work.  The foundation of living was built on this plant and so the public indulged in its inebriating constituents to bring laugher and a light heart to the tough human experience of living in that day and age.  

By Dr. Dana Lillestol, PhD