Marijuana is an ancient plant with psychoactive properties that people have been using for eons. In fact, humans began cultivating cannabis 12,000 years ago, before the invention of farming itself.
But it wasn’t until 5,000 years ago that people began discovering the plant’s many medicinal qualities. Artifacts from 2900 BC indicate that the ancient Chinese considered cannabis to be a unique, multipurpose medicinal plant that possessed both ‘yin’ and ‘yang.’ The Hindus in ancient India were using cannabis in food and drink as early as 1000 BCE (it’s even listed in the Ayurveda as a pain reliever) and the Ebers Papyrus, an ancient medicinal scroll from 1550 B.C. Egypt, references cannabis as a therapeutic treatment.
In the US, 2.6 million people in 33 states use cannabis to help treat medical problems, and 60% of the US population now lives in states where it’s legal to use marijuana for certain health conditions.
Medical marijuana offers a wide variety of potential benefits for the mind and body. As perceptions about marijuana continue to evolve, a new era of normalization and legalization is emerging, presenting exciting possibilities for those who wish to understand, explore, and utilize its benefits.
