History of cannabis from its origins to the present day

Despite the whirlwind of controversies surrounding cannabis today, and notably the debate on the legality of cannabis and marijuana, few plants have known such a dense, complex, and singular history, a true “ancient history” of cannabis through the ages. A true partner of humanity since the dawn of civilizations, cannabis has crossed continents, changing its uses and reputation according to cultural, medical, economic, and political contexts.

Origins: a plant at the heart of ancient civilizations

About 12,000 years ago, as sedentism intensified in the Neolithic, hemp – Cannabis sativa – was already part of daily life in Central Asia, particularly in the current region of Mongolia and southern Siberia. Archaeological discoveries attest to its very early domestication, notably for the manufacture of textile fibers, ropes, and even tools.

Gradually, these nomadic peoples and cultivators spread it to ancient China. The oldest written record is found in the “Shennong Bencao Jing,” a classic of Chinese materia medica, compiled between 200 and 100 BCE. Cannabis is recognized there for its medicinal virtues (pain relief, stimulation of creativity) but also for its food uses – the seeds being rich in proteins and lipids.

A triple use: textile, medicinal, and spiritual

From the Near East to India, passing through ancient Egypt, cannabis takes on different roles depending on the cultures. While in China, its interest mainly lay in the strength of its hemp fiber and in pharmacopoeia, India developed, from the second millennium BCE, a completely different relationship to the plant: spiritual and mystical.

“Bhang,” a mixture of crushed cannabis leaves and milk, accompanies Hindu religious celebrations, believed to promote meditation and communion with the divine. As for the Persians and Scythian peoples, they used cannabis smoke during funeral rites, as evidenced by the writings of Herodotus and excavations of ancient kurgans.

From the Mediterranean to Eurasia: cannabis conquers the world

In the early centuries of our era, the Silk Road favored the rise of cannabis, in its dual textile and psychotropic form. The Arabs developed the use of hashish, derived from the plant's resin, while the Persians refined extraction techniques. In North Africa, the plant took deep root, whether for weaving ropes or participating in rituals.

In Europe, hemp accompanied great maritime adventures, serving as raw material for making sails and ropes for ships in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, with notable effects on the development of navigation. Without cannabis, the rise of European explorations is unimaginable.

A golden age in the service of health

Since the 18th century, cannabis has regained a prominent place in European medicine. Following colonial expeditions, European pharmacists and botanists became enthusiastic about the medical use and therapeutic properties of cannabinoids present in the plant, notably THC: pain relief, treatment of respiratory conditions, nervous disorders, spasms, epilepsy…

In 1839, Irish physician William O’Shaughnessy published his observations on the medical use of cannabis in India, paving the way for a wave of experiments and prescriptions on the European continent. Cannabis-based preparations multiplied in Western pharmacopoeias, in the form of tinctures, extracts, and elixirs.

A short list of conditions treated with cannabis in the 19th century:

• Rheumatism
• Asthma
• Menstrual pain
• Insomnia
• Chronic pain associated with cannabis use

The turning point: criminalization and stigmatization

In the 20th century, the view of cannabis changes radically. Under pressure from prohibition movements from the United States, the plant is gradually associated with crime and deviance, sweeping away centuries of medical and cultural traditions. In 1925, the Geneva Convention subjects cannabis for the first time to restrictive international regulation, quickly followed by France and other European countries.

A global phenomenon is taking hold, intensified in the 1960s and 1970s by the "war on drugs" launched by the United States. This restrictive policy led to the disappearance of medical treatments based on cannabis and the demonization of the plant among the general public. Textile hemp, ancestral pharmacopoeia, and invaluable contributions to industry were then forgotten.

The renaissances of cannabis: rediscoveries, research, and contemporary uses

For about twenty years, the discourse has evolved again. More rigorous and independent scientific research reveals new aspects: complex chemical composition, possible role in pain management, certain neurological disorders, impact of cannabis, and impact of cannabidiol (CBD) on health.

Some countries are gradually rehabilitating the use of cannabis, first in its medical form, then, in some cases, for regulated recreational purposes. France remains cautious, but many institutional initiatives are interested in the plant's potential, notably CBD, its derivatives, and its industrial and ecological applications.

Industrial cannabis and sustainable development

Hemp is making a strong comeback as an agricultural raw material:

• Ecological building material (hempcrete)
• Paper with low environmental impact
• Natural and durable textile
• Use in phytoremediation to depollute soils

Legal and industrial cannabis, once ignored, appears as an essential building block of the agricultural transition towards more responsible models.

Focus on CBD: the emergence of a new perspective

Advances around CBD are transforming the image of cannabis today. Far from psychotropics, this molecule causes neither dependence nor euphoric effect. Its legal framework in France, although still unclear, allows it to attract an increasingly broad audience concerned with natural well-being, therapeutic support, and healthy lifestyles.

Small modern applications of CBD:

• Management of stress and anxiety
• Improvement of sleep
• Relief of inflammatory pain with cannabis use
• Support during heavy treatments

Simplified timeline of cannabis evolution

The influence on society and culture

It is impossible to talk about cannabis without mentioning its impact on art, literature, music, and civil society. Cannabis and creativity go hand in hand for some writers and artists, in many countries and across various eras.

Some personalities who have valued or questioned cannabis:

• Baudelaire, member of the "club des Haschischins"
• The Orientalist painters of the 19th century
• The counter-culture movements of the 1960s (Beat Generation, reggae...)

The plant continues to stimulate debates, questioning our relationship to freedom, health, justice, but also to agricultural and industrial innovation, particularly regarding the role of cannabis.

Between myths and realities: a field of study still active

Research is advancing, as are mentalities. Faced with multiple uses, the multiplicity of its active molecules, and its place in the circular economy, cannabis probably has not finished surprising us.

One thing remains certain: it is part of human history as a secondary but essential actor, oscillating between remedy, raw material, source of inspiration, or reason for prohibition. Its long journey through the centuries testifies to our ability to see, in a simple plant, a reflection of our societies.