Cannabis: History's Multitasking Medicine

Gracing the streets of most major U.S. cities today are the ubiquitous medical marijuana dispensaries. The recent string of legalizations have made acquiring it that much easier, along with a few states that have fully legalized certain strains of the plant. But while this may seem like a new drug with doubted benefits, history tells us differently. Given the vast history of cannabis, this article will mostly cover usage in Eurasia.

Ancient peoples in Taiwan recognized the sturdy nature of hemp fibers, using them in cloth as early as 10000 BCE. Even the earliest pharmacology books in China detail the best opportunities to harvest the plant. It was recognized as a medicinal marvel by the Chinese, though, cemented as one of the fifty fundamental herbs in Chinese medicine.

This status as a medical wonder-drug was well documented by the Chinese. The surgeon Hua Tuo in the 100s performed the first documented use of marijuana as an anesthetic. The strength of his powdered wine mixture was enough to knock someone out for surgery, meaning the Chinese had access to Cannabis indica, which is much stronger than other strains. The "Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians", by famous herbalist Tao Hongjing, documented its usages and harvesting techniques for doctors throughout Ancient China.

With purported "yin" energy, cannabis was prescribed often by Tang era doctors for a wide range of ailments. It was commonly thought that the flowering female heads of the plant had the ability to make you see ghosts and demons, alluding to the psychoactive properties later discovered. Transforming the root and leaves into various powders, however, allowed them to be used as a tonic of sorts, prescribed for nearly every ailment in the book.

Further south in India, the psychoactive properties were widely known. Cannabis was used to treat things like gastrointestinal pain, headaches, insomnia, and labor pains. This contrasted with its usage in Japan, which saw the Jomon Era's use of hemp fibers expanded to a symbol of purity. Japan saw mainly these fiber arts' usages until the Meiji Era, when they used Cannabis indica as anesthesia. Given how close both India and Japan were to China, it's not surprising they adopted many of its usage techniques.

The hemp cloth industry was brought to Europe by the prehistoric Yanma cultures migrating from the Black Sea area, but recreational cannabis usage was brought from the Middle East. Muslims used the plant recreationally with the spread of Sufism, which was a new sect of Islam focused on mysticism. The reign of Muslims in parts of Europe before the Middle Ages contributed to the use of marijuana, though it was still mainly cultivated as a fiber crop. It was used medicinally, though not nearly to the extent that parts of Asia did. By Japan's Meiji Era, it was thought that their use of medical marijuana was influenced by Europe instead of China, copying European pharmacology. However, since Europe itself was influenced by the cultures of the Far East through lucrative trade routes, Japan's techniques merely demonstrated the circular nature of their trades.

The usage of medical marijuana lines up with its historical counterparts. It's a crucial area of pharmacology that the West does not always seem to recognize for its versatility and effectiveness. Modern science should take a few pointers from history, and signs show cannabis has already taken root as a useful medical tool for ailments of all kinds.