Cannabis seeds used for food in China.

, 2 Textiles made of hemp are used in China. Remains have been found of hemp fibers from this period and from Turkestan a century later. 1

First recorded use of cannabis as medicine in Chinese pharmacopoeia. In every part of the world humankind has used cannabis for a wide variety of health problems. 3

Scythians cultivate cannabis and use it to weave fine hemp cloth. (Sumach 1975)

Cannabis cultivated in China for food and fiber

Bhang (dried cannabis leaves, seeds and stems) is mentioned in the Hindu sacred text Atharva veda (Science of Charms) as "Sacred Grass", one of the five sacred plants of India. It is used by medicinally and ritually as an offering to Shiva. 4

The Zoroastrian Zend-Avesta, an ancient Persian religious text of several hundred volumes, and said to have been written by Zarathustra (Zoroaster), refers to bhang as Zoroaster's "good narcotic" (Vendidad or The Law Against Demons)

Scythian tribes leave Cannabis seeds as offerings in royal tombs.

, 6 , 7 [More Info] A grave dating from circa 700 BCE in Yanghai Tombs near Turpan, China contains psychoactive cannabis (not fiber-source hemp). 5

[Details] [More Info] Thirteen well-preserved and nearly-whole Cannabis plant remains found as a 'shroud' in a tomb in Turpan, northwest China, dated to around 500 BCE. 8 What the authors call a "burial shroud" found in 2400+ year old cemetery. "An extraordinary cache of ancient, well-preserved Cannabis plant remains was recently discovered in a tomb in the Jiayi cemetery of Turpan, NW China. Radiometric dating of this tomb and the archeobotanical remains it contained indicate that they are approximately 28002400 years old. Both morphological and anatomical features support the identification of the plant remains as Cannabis. Research discussed in this paper describes 13 nearly whole plants of Cannabis that appear to have been locally produced and purposefully arranged and used as a burial shroud which was placed upon a male corpse."

Scythian couple die and are buried with two small tents covering censers. Attached to one tent stick was a decorated leather pouch containing wild Cannabis seeds. This closely matches the stories told by Herodotus. The gravesite, discovered in the late 1940s, was in Pazryk, northwest of the Tien Shan Mountains in modern-day Khazakstan.

Hemp is introduced into Northern Europe by the Scythians. An urn containing leaves and seeds of the Cannabis plant, unearthed near Berlin, is dated to about this time.

Hemp spreads throughout northern Europe.

[More Info] Nine out of 10 funerary braziers from this period, found by archaeologists in NW China, contain cannabis residue. This is one of the earliest pieces of direct evidence for the burning of cannabis. 9

[Details] Herodotus reports on ritual, cleansing, and recreational use of Cannabis by the Scythians. 10 73. [...] After burying their dead, Scythians purify themselves. First they anoint and rise their hair, then, for their bodies, they lean three poles against another, cover the poles with felted woolen blankets, making sure that they fit together as tightly as possible, and then put red-hot stones from the fire on to a dish which has been placed in the middle of the pole-and-blanket structure.



74. Now there is a plant growing in their country called cannabis, which closely resembles flax, except that cannabis is thicker-stemmed and taller. In Scythia, in fact, it is far taller. It grows wild, but is also cultivated, and the Thracians use it, as well as flax, for making clothes. These clothes are so similar to ones made out of flax that it would take a real expert to tell the difference between the two materials. Anyone unfamiliar with cannabis would suppose that the clothes were linen.



75. The Scythians, as I said, take cannabis seeds, crawl in under the felt blankets, and throw the seeds on to the glowing stones. The seeds then emit dense smoke and fumes, much more than any vapour-bath in Greece. The Scythians shriek with delight at the fumes. This is their equivalent of a bath, since they never wash their bodies with water.





The psychotropic properties of Cannabis are mentioned in the newly compiled herbal Pen Ts'ao Ching which is attributed to an emperor c. 2700 B.C.

Construction of Samartian gold and glass paste stash box for storing hashish, coriander, or salt, buried in Siberian tomb.

Dioscorides mentions the use of Cannabis as a Roman medicament.

Galen (Roman) alludes to the psychoactivity of Cannabis seed confections.

The Jewish Talmud mentions the euphoriant properties of Cannabis. (Abel 1980)

Scholars debate the pros and cons of eating hashish. Use spreads throughout Arabia.

In Khorasan, Persia, Hasan ibn al-Sabbah, the Old Man of the Mountain, recruits followers to commit assassinations...legends develop around their supposed use of hashish. These legends are some of the earliest written tales of the discovery of the inebriating powers of Cannabis and the supposed use of Hashish. 1256 Alamut falls

Hashish smoking very popular throughout the Middle East.

Cannabis is introduced in Egypt during the reign of the Ayyubid dynasty on the occasion of the flooding of Egypt by mystic devotees coming from Syria. (M.K. Hussein 1957 - Soueif 1972)

Persian legend of the Sufi master Sheik Haidar's of Khorasan's personal discovery of Cannabis and it's subsequent spread to Iraq, Bahrain, Egypt and Syria. Another of the ealiest written narratives of the use of Cannabis as an inebriant.

The oldest monograph on hashish, Zahr al-'arish fi tahrim al-hashish, was written. It has since been lost.

Ibn al-Baytar of Spain provides a description of psychaoctive Cannabis.

Arab traders bring Cannabis to the Mozambique coast of Africa.

Hashish introduced to Iraq in the reign of Caliph Mustansir (Rosenthal 1971)

Journeys of Marco Polo in which he gives second-hand reports of the story of Hasan ibn al-Sabbah and his "assassins" using hashish. First time reports of Cannabis have been brought to the attention of Europe.

Ottoman Emir Soudoun Scheikhouni issues one of the first edicts against the eating of hashish.

Babur Nama, first emperor and founder of Mughal Empire learned of hashish in Afghanistan.

Angolan slaves brought cannabis with them to the sugar plantations of northeastern Brazil. They were permitted to plant their cannabis between rows of cane, and to smoke it between harvests. 11

The epic poem, Benk u Bode, by the poet Mohammed Ebn Soleiman Foruli of Baghdad, deals allegorically with a dialectical battle between wine and hashish.

"Conversations on the simples, drugs and materia medica of India" is published by Portuguese physician Garcia de Orta. It discusses Cannabis, Opium, and Nutmeg, among more than 50 medicinal plants and substances. [Details] The Portuguese title is: "Colóquios dos simples e drogas he cousas medicinais da Índia".

Use of hashish, alcohol, and opium spreads among the population of occupied Constantinople

French and British cultivate Cannabis for hemp at their colonies in Port Royal (1606), Virginia (1611), and Plymouth (1632). 11

Hashish becomes a major trade item between Central Asia and South Asia.

Napoleon discovers that much of the Egyptian lower class habitually uses hashish (Kimmens 1977). He declares a total prohibition. Soldiers returning to France bring the tradition with them.

Hashish production expands from Russian Turkestan into Yarkand in Chinese Turkestan.

Antoine Sylvestre de Sacy, a leading Arabist, reveals the etymology of the words "assassin" and "hashishin"

In America, medicinal preparations with a Cannabis base are available. Hashish available in Persian pharmacies.

Le Club des Hachichins, or Hashish Eater's Club, is established in Paris. 11

Hashish appears in Greece.

British tax ganja and charas trade in India

[Details] [More Info] Dr. Horatio C. Wood, Jr. reads an essay on his self-experimentation with cannabis extract to the College Of Physicians of Philadelphia. 12 Dr. Horatio C. Wood, Jr., a physician and professor of botany, experimented with extract of hemp. In the first assay (dose: "20 to 30 grains" of extract), at first he did not experience effects, which developed later while he made a house call to see a patient. After a period of mirth and well-being, at T+4:00 he developed "a constant and overwhelming dread of impending death, which no amount of assurance could relieve for more than an instant." He later repeated the experiment with smaller doses.

First reports of hashish smoking on Greek mainland

Cultivation for hashish introduced to Greece

Kerr reports on Indian ganja and charas trade.

Greek Department of Interior prohibits importance, cultivation and use of hashish.

Hashish made illegal in Turkey

The India Hemp Drugs Commission Report is issued.

70,000 to 80,000 kg of hashish legally imported into India from Central Asia each year.

[Details] Pure Food and Drug Act is passed, regulating the labelling of products containing Alcohol, Opiates, Cocaine, and Cannabis, among others. The law went into effect Jan 1, 1907 13 The act required correct labelling of products containing "alcohol, morphine, opium, cocaine, heroin, alpha or beta eucaine, chloroform, cannabis indica, chloral hydrate, or acetanilide, or any derivative or preparation of any such substances contained therein."

Hashish smoking very popular throughout the Middle East.

Cannabis begins to be prohibited for nonmedical use in the U.S., especially in SW states...California (1915), Texas (1919), Louisiana (1924), and New York (1927).

Metaxus dictators in Greece crack down on hashish smoking.

Hashish smuggled into Egypt from Greece, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and Central Asia

Lebanese hashish production peaks after World War I until prohibited in 1926.

Recrational use of Cannabis is banned in Britain.

High-quality hashish produced in Turkey near Greek border.

Yarkand region of Chinese Turkestan exports 91,471 kg of hashish legally into the Northwest Frontier and Punjab regions of India

Legal taxed imports of hashish continue into India from Central Asia.

Chinese government moves to end all Cannabis cultivation in Yarkand and charas traffic from Yarkand. Both licit and illicit hashish production become illegal in Chinese Turkestan.

Propaganda film "Reefer Madness" made to scare American youth away from using Cannabis.

U.S.: The Marihuana Tax Act is passed, making it illegal to buy, sell, barter, or give away cannabis without paying a transfer tax. This is the first federal law in the U.S. regulating the possession and sale of cannabis. Declared unconstitutional in 1969 in U.S. vs Timothy Leary.

Supply of hashish from chinese Turkestan nearly ceases.

Greek hashish smoking tradition fades.

Indian government considers cultivation in Kashmir to fill void of hashish from Chinese Turkestan.

Hand-rubbed charas from Nepal is choicest hashish in India during World War II.

Legal hashish consumption continues in India

Hashish use in Greece flourishes again

Hashish still smuggled into India from Chinese Central Asia

Moroccan government tacitly allows kif cultivation in Rif Mountains.

First hashish made in Morocco.

Turkish police seize 2.5 tons of hashish

First reports of C. afghanica use for hashish production in northern Afghanistan

Mustafa comes to Ketama in Morocco to make hashish from local kif.

Timothy Leary and 18-year-old daughter Susan searched and arrested by U.S. Customs in Laredo, Texas, after being turned back at the boarder while heading into Mexico. Susan was carrying three ounces of cannabis; Tim said it was his. 14

The Moroccan government attempts to purge kif growers from Rif Mountains.

[Details] Timothy Leary convicted on marijuana charges, fined $30,000, and sentence to a maximum of 30 years in Federal prison; his 18-year-old daughter Susan who had also been arrested was ordered sent to a Federal reformatory. 14 The date of this conviction has been incorrectly listed as March 26 in the literature (Stafford 1983/1992; Ott 1993/1996).

"Smash", the first hashish oil appears. Red Lebanese reaches California.

The Brotherhood popularizes Afghani hashish.

[Details] Synthetic THCs were placed under control of the DACA in the U.S. 15 33 FR 11814

Huge fields of Cannabis cultivated for hashish production in Afghanistan. Last years that truly great afghani hashish is available

Lebanese red and blonde hashish of very high-quality exported. The highest quality Turkish hashish from Gaziantep near Syria appears in western Europe.

Afghani hashish varieties introduced to North America for sinsemilla production. Law enforcement efforts against hashish begin in Afghanistan after U.S. and European law enforcement help overthrow a cannabis-friendly regime. 16

The Nixon-appointed Shafer Commission urged use of cannabis be re-legalized, but their recommendation was ignored. Medical research continues. 3

Nepal bans the Cannabis shops and charas (hand-rolled hash) export.

Afghan government makes hashish production and sales illegal. Afghani harvest is pitifully small.

FDA establishes Compassionate Use program for medical marijuana.

Quality of Lebanese hashish reaches zenith.

Westerners make sieved hashish in Nepal from wild Cannabis.

Increasing manufacture of "modern" Afghani hashish. Cannabis varieties from Afghanistan imported into Kashmir for sieved hashish production.

Morocco becomes one of, if not the largest, hashish producing and exporting nations.

"Border" hashish produced in northwestern Pakistan along the Afghan border to avoid Soviet-Afghan war.

Quality of Lebanese hashish declines.

Small amounts of the last high-quality Turkish hashish appear.

Hashish still produced by Muslims of Kashgar and Yarkland (NW China).

Most private stashes of pre-war Afghani hashish in Amsterdam, Goa, and America are nearly finished.

Dronabinol is placed into Schedule II by the DEA. 17

Moroccan government cracks down upon Cannabis cultivation in lower eleations of Rif Mountains.

DEA administrative law Judge Francis Young finds after thorough hearings that marijuana has clearly established medical use and should be reclassified as a prescriptive drug. His recommendation is ignored.

Cannabis eradication efforts resume in Morocco.

Heavy fighting between rival Muslim clans continues to upset hashish trade in Afghanistan

Border hashish still produced in Pakistan.

Introduction of hashish-making equipment and appearance of locally produced hashish in Amsterdam coffee shops.

California passes Proposition 215, legalizing medical use of cannabis with a doctor's recommendation. [Details] CA Prop 215 notably did not require an actual prescription, to try to avoid doctors being prosecuted or censured for 'prescribing' a drug that is specifically disallowed under state and federal law. Under U.S. law, all Schedule I drugs are defined to be with "no medical use" and, as such, cannabis is defined as a non-medicine. In several legal cases, doctors won the right to 'recommend' cannabis to patients without committing a federal crime.

[More Info] Britain's Home Secretary, David Blunkett, proposes relaxing the classification of cannabis from a class B to class C. As of June 10, 2002, this has not taken effect. [Details] http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0,2763,753168,00.html

[More Info] The Third National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics [Details] Held in Charlottesville, VA, sponsored by The Office of Continuing Medical Education of the University of Virginias Health System and co-presented by Patients Out of Time, the University of Virginia School of Nursing, the Pain Management Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, the Virginia Nurses Association, and the University of Virginia School of Law.

[More Info] Cannabinoids in Medicine [Details] Held at Somerville College Oxford, England, this was the Third International Association for Cannabis as Medicine (IACM) Conference.