The Origin
- Sanjana Vadrevou
- Nov 2
- 5 min read
In the last two blogs, we discussed in length about the classification and semantics pertaining to cannabis and hemp.
But did you know that this notorious plant has had a very long and deep history?
So, where did it all begin? Where did it originate from? what was it used for? What is its history?
Let's take a walk down memory lane.
Cannabis is known as one of the oldest cultivated plants, domesticated over 10,000 years ago and has been used for many different purposes throughout history and people have a deep and long relationship with this plant.
The natural range of Cannabis sativa is described as cosmopolitan, with its wild and cultivated forms found from Central Asia through Europe, the Himalayas, and historically into the Americas and Africa via trade and colonisation.
Earliest Archeological Evidences
The earliest archeological evidence was found in china dating from 4000 BCE (Touw, 1981)
where it was used for rope and for its seeds. By 3000 B.C., hemp threads and ropes were also found in Chinese-occupied Turkestan* . Ancient Chinese texts such as the Rh-Ya and Shih-Ching mention its use for fiber and grain, showing that cannabis was both a textile and food crop. In fact, hemp seed was once listed among China’s “five sacred grains,” alongside rice and barley (Li, 1975). While it eventually lost its importance as a food source, it remained central as a fiber plant—used to make cloth and even early forms of paper. Hemp paper from the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.) predates Ts’ai Lun’s later “invention” of paper, and its durability was so valued that Tibetan monasteries used it to record their histories.
In Asia
In India, cannabis finds mention in the Atharva Veda, one of Hinduism’s oldest sacred texts, where it is honoured as one of the five holy plants believed to contain a guardian spirit within its leaves. In Buddhist lore, it is said that Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) survived for six years of ascetic practice sustained only by bhang, a preparation made from Cannabis sativa.
It has been extensively used in Ayurveda and has been described as the penicillin of Ayurvedic medicine. It was prescribed for a wide range of ailments from relieving pain to being a digestive aid. Cannabis was used to treat respiratory ailments like asthma, cough, and bronchitis, and to alleviate conditions such as insomnia and anxiety, while also serving as an antiseptic in traditional healing practices. From its early roots in Central Asia, cannabis began moving along the great trade and pilgrimage routes that connected ancient civilizations. By around the 6th century CE, it had travelled from India and China into Southeast Asia, carried by traders, healers, and Buddhist monks. In this new landscape, the plant took on local identities as kancha in Thailand, gai in Vietnam, kanhch in Cambodia and found its place in traditional medicine and ritual practice. While in India it remained sacred and symbolic; in Southeast Asia, it became a quiet companion in healing traditions.
The Scythians of Central Asia were among the first to ritualize its use by burning the seeds during funerals to purify the souls.
In Rest of the World
From them, knowledge of the plant passed to the Greeks and Romans, who valued it for its healing properties. Ancient physicians like Hippocrates and Dioscorides prescribed it for pain, inflammation, earaches, and gout, while Pliny the Elder noted its ability to soothe burns and swelling
Arab and Indian merchants carried it westward across the Silk Road, introducing it to the Middle East and Africa. It was used to treat diseases like malaria and dysentery, and in many communities, it was used in spiritual practices and was burned to ward off evil spirits. Among the Zulu and Khoekhoe people, it became part of divination and healing practices.
(National Academic Press, 2001 - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/9586/chapter/3#14)
Later on the plant found more utilitarian purpose in Europe, where it was widely used for making paper and sailcloth.
From Useful to Criminal
Tracing the journey of this plant reveals that the plant we now consider a drug was once a widely and accepted and useful plant. The history of cannabis is, in essence, the history of human innovation. From ancient temples to modern laboratories, its story continues to evolve, bridging the past and present, reminding us that what we often see as a problem plant has long been a partner in survival, ritual, and healing. Wherever it went, cannabis adapted, taking on the language, spirit, and needs of the people who welcomed it.
About the Author and this Blog Series
Hi, I’m Sanjana, a researcher with a master’s in environmental science. My research sits at the intersection of environment, agriculture, and culture. During my master's, I studied cannabis in the Parvati Valley, exploring local knowledge, traditional practices, and global policy debates.
That is when I realised that cannabis is not just a plant but a story full of history and controversy. Many from the valley chose not to speak about it, many have forgotten about the traditional use, and many are just milking it for the sake of money. But overall, nobody wants to talk about it. Few wanted to talk about it, fewer wanted to be seen with it, and almost no one wanted to touch it. This silence and stigma around cannabis is what inspired the title of this series - "The Untouchable Plant."
Glossary
Turkestan - Turkestan, a historical region in Central Asia, lies between the Caspian Sea, Siberia, the Gobi Desert, and parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tibet, primarily inhabited by Turkic peoples along with Russian and Tajik-Persian minorities
References
Fidan, M., Süzerer, V., Onay, A., Siirt University, Faculty of Science and Literature, Department of Biology, 54100, Siirt, Türkiye, Bingöl University, Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Pharmacy Services, 12000, Bingöl Türkiye, & Dicle University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 21280, Diyarbakır, Türkiye. (2023). Cannabis sativa L.: ORIGIN, DISTRIBUTION, TAXONOMY AND BIOLOGY [Derleme Makalesi]. Türk Bilimsel Derlemeler Dergisi, 16(1), 10–28.
Hillig, K. W. (2005). Genetic evidence for speciation in Cannabis (Cannabaceae). Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 52(2), 161-180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-003-4452-y
Kuddus, M., Ginawi, I., & AlHazimi, A. (2013). Cannabis sativa: An ancient wild edible plant of India. Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 25(10), 736. https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.v25i10.16400
Touw, M. (1981). The religious and medicinal uses of cannabis in China, India and Tibet. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 13(1), 23–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.1981.10471447
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