Editing Cannabis (section)

== Uses ==
''Cannabis'' is used for a wide variety of purposes.

===History===
{{Main|History of cannabis}}
According to genetic and archaeological evidence, cannabis was first domesticated about 12,000 years ago in [[East Asia]] during the early [[Neolithic]] period.<ref name="Ren2021"/> The use of cannabis as a mind-altering drug has been documented by archaeological finds in prehistoric societies in Eurasia and Africa.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Abel E | title = Marijuana, The First 12,000 years | publisher = Plenum Press | location = New York | date = 1980 }}</ref> The oldest written record of cannabis usage is the Greek historian [[Herodotus]]'s reference to the central Eurasian [[Scythians]] taking cannabis steam baths.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Butrica JL | date = June 2002 | title = The Medical Use of Cannabis Among the Greeks and Romans | journal = Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics | volume = 2 | issue = 2| pages = 51–70 | doi=10.1300/j175v02n02_04}}</ref> His [[Histories (Herodotus)|''Histories'']] ({{circa|440 BCE}}) records, "The Scythians, as I said, take some of this hemp-seed [presumably, flowers], and, creeping under the felt coverings, throw it upon the red-hot stones; immediately it smokes, and gives out such a vapour as no Greek vapour-bath can exceed; the Scyths, delighted, shout for joy."<ref>{{cite web|author=Herodotus | translator-last = Rawlinson G |title=The History of Herodotus|url=http://classics.mit.edu/Herodotus/history.4.iv.html|website=The Internet Classics Archive|publisher=Daniel C. Stevenson, Web Atomics|access-date=13 August 2014|year=1994–2009|archive-date=29 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629071015/http://classics.mit.edu/Herodotus/history.4.iv.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 

In China, the psychoactive properties of cannabis are described in the ''[[Shennong Bencaojing]]'' (3rd century AD).<ref name="Rudgley">{{cite book | veditors = Prance G, Nesbitt M, Rudgley R |date=2005 |title=The Cultural History of Plants |publisher=Routledge |page=198 |isbn=978-0-415-92746-8 }}</ref> Cannabis smoke was inhaled by [[Daoist]]s, who burned it in incense burners.<ref name="Rudgley"/>

In the Middle East, use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545, cannabis spread to the western hemisphere where Spaniards imported it to Chile for its use as fiber. In North America, cannabis, in the form of hemp, was grown for use in rope, cloth and paper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deamuseum.org/ccp/cannabis/history.html|title=Cannabis: History|website=deamuseum.org|access-date=8 June 2014|archive-date=17 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417065459/http://www.deamuseum.org/ccp/cannabis/history.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Conrad C |title=Hemp : lifeline to the future : the unexpected answer for our environmental and economic recovery |date=1994 |publisher=Creative Xpressions Publications |location=Los Angeles, California |isbn=978-0-9639754-1-6 |edition=2nd}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Herer J | title = Hemp & the marijuana conspiracy : the emperor wears no clothes |date=1992 |publisher=Hemp Pub |location=Van Nuys, CA |isbn=1-878125-00-1 |edition=New, rev. and updated for 1992}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Stafford PG |title=Psychedelics Encyclopedia |date=1992 |publisher=Ronin Publications |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn=978-0-914171-51-5 |edition=3rd expanded}}</ref>

[[Cannabinol]] (CBN) was the first compound to be isolated from cannabis extract in the late 1800s. Its structure and chemical synthesis were achieved by 1940, followed by some of the first preclinical research studies to determine the effects of individual cannabis-derived compounds in vivo.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Pertwee |first=Roger G |date=2006 |title=Cannabinoid pharmacology: the first 66 years: Cannabinoid pharmacology |journal=British Journal of Pharmacology |language=en |volume=147 |issue=S1 |pages=S163–S171 |doi=10.1038/sj.bjp.0706406 |pmc=1760722 |pmid=16402100}}</ref>

Globally, in 2013, 60,400 kilograms of cannabis [[Legality of cannabis by country|were produced legally]].<ref name="UN2015">{{cite book |url=https://www.incb.org/documents/Narcotic-Drugs/Technical-Publications/2014/Narcotic_Drugs_Report_2014.pdf |title=Narcotic Drugs 2014 |date=2015 |publisher=International Narcotics Control Board |isbn=9789210481571 |page=21 |access-date=2 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602192211/https://www.incb.org/documents/Narcotic-Drugs/Technical-Publications/2014/Narcotic_Drugs_Report_2014.pdf |archive-date=2 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Recreational use===
{{Main|Cannabis (drug)}}
[[File:Drug danger and dependence.svg|thumb|right|400px|Comparison of physical harm and dependence regarding various drugs<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.cgu.edu/faculty/gabler/drug_toxicity.htm |title=Drug Toxicity |publisher=Web.cgu.edu |access-date=17 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325151357/http://web.cgu.edu/faculty/gabler/drug_toxicity.htm |archive-date=25 March 2008}}</ref>]]
[[File:Marijuana-Cannabis-Weed-Bud-Gram.jpg|thumb|A dried bud, typical of what is sold for recreational use|alt=]]

Cannabis is a popular recreational drug around the world, only behind alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco. In the U.S. alone, it is believed that over 100 million Americans have tried cannabis, with 25 million Americans having used it within the past year.{{when|date=February 2017}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5442|title=Introduction|publisher=NORML|access-date=17 February 2011|archive-date=11 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211010755/http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5442|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a drug it usually comes in the form of dried marijuana, [[hashish]], or various extracts collectively known as [[hash oil|hashish oil]].<ref name="erowid" />

Normal cognition is restored after approximately three hours for larger doses via a [[One hitter (smoking)|smoking pipe]], [[bong]] or [[vaporizer (cannabis)|vaporizer]].<ref name="erowid.org">{{cite web|author=Cannabis|url=http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_effects.shtml|title=Erowid Cannabis (Marijuana) Vault : Effects|publisher=Erowid.org|access-date=17 February 2011|archive-date=19 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819023850/https://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_effects.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> However, if a large amount is taken orally the effects may last much longer. After 24 hours to a few days, minuscule psychoactive effects may be felt, depending on dosage, frequency and tolerance to the drug.

Cannabidiol (CBD), which has no intoxicating effects by itself<ref name="pmid19204413" /> (although sometimes showing a small stimulant effect, similar to [[caffeine]]),<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Block RI, Erwin WJ, Farinpour R, Braverman K | title = Sedative, stimulant, and other subjective effects of marijuana: relationships to smoking techniques | journal = Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior | volume = 59 | issue = 2 | pages = 405–412 | date = February 1998 | pmid = 9476988 | doi = 10.1016/S0091-3057(97)00453-X | s2cid = 29421694 }}</ref> is thought to reduce the anxiety-inducing effects of high doses of THC,<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Zuardi AW, Shirakawa I, Finkelfarb E, Karniol IG |year=1982 |title=Action of cannabidiol on the anxiety and other effects produced by delta 9-THC in normal subjects |journal=Psychopharmacology |volume=76 |issue=3 |pages=245–250 |doi=10.1007/BF00432554 |pmid=6285406 |s2cid=4842545}}</ref> particularly if administered orally prior to THC exposure.<ref name="pmid19124693">{{cite journal | vauthors = Fusar-Poli P, Crippa JA, Bhattacharyya S, Borgwardt SJ, Allen P, Martin-Santos R, Seal M, Surguladze SA, O'Carrol C, Atakan Z, Zuardi AW, McGuire PK | display-authors = 6 | title = Distinct effects of {delta}9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on neural activation during emotional processing | journal = Archives of General Psychiatry | volume = 66 | issue = 1 | pages = 95–105 | date = January 2009 | pmid = 19124693 | doi = 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2008.519 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

According to [[Delphi method|Delphic analysis]] by British researchers in 2007, cannabis has a lower risk factor for [[drug addiction|dependence]] compared to both nicotine and alcohol.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Nutt D, King LA, Saulsbury W, Blakemore C | title = Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse | journal = Lancet | volume = 369 | issue = 9566 | pages = 1047–53 | date = March 2007 | pmid = 17382831 | doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60464-4 | s2cid = 5903121 }}</ref> However, everyday use of cannabis may be correlated with psychological [[Drug withdrawal|withdrawal symptoms]], such as irritability or insomnia,<ref name="erowid.org"/> and susceptibility to a [[panic attack]] may increase as levels of THC metabolites rise.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7951|title=Marijuana Detection Times Influenced By Stress, Dieting|publisher=NORML|access-date=17 February 2011|archive-date=11 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211054305/http://www.norml.org//index.cfm?Group_ID=7951|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cannabis.net/panic-attacks/pd.html|title=Cannabis use and panic disorder|publisher=Cannabis.net|access-date=17 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520100024/http://cannabis.net/panic-attacks/pd.html|archive-date=20 May 2011}}</ref> Cannabis withdrawal symptoms are typically mild and are not life-threatening.<ref name="drugpolicy.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/|title=Myths and Facts About Marijuana|publisher=Drugpolicy.org|access-date=17 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216113749/http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/|archive-date=16 February 2011}}</ref> Risk of adverse outcomes from cannabis use may be reduced by implementation of evidence-based education and intervention tools communicated to the public with practical regulation measures.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Fischer B, Russell C, Sabioni P, van den Brink W, Le Foll B, Hall W, Rehm J, Room R | display-authors = 6 | title = Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines: A Comprehensive Update of Evidence and Recommendations | journal = American Journal of Public Health | volume = 107 | issue = 8 | pages = e1–e12 | date = August 2017 | pmid = 28644037 | doi = 10.2105/AJPH.2017.303818 | pmc = 5508136 }}</ref>

In 2014 there were an estimated 182.5 million cannabis users worldwide (3.8% of the global population aged 15–64).<ref name="WDR2016">{{cite book |author=United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime |title=World Drug Report 2016 |date=May 2016 |isbn=978-92-1-057862-2 |location=Vienna, Austria |page=xiv, 43 |chapter=Statistical tables |access-date=1 August 2016 |chapter-url=http://www.unodc.org/doc/wdr2016/WORLD_DRUG_REPORT_2016_web.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809143704/http://www.unodc.org/doc/wdr2016/WORLD_DRUG_REPORT_2016_web.pdf |archive-date=9 August 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> This percentage did not change significantly between 1998 and 2014.<ref name="WDR2016" />

===Medical use===
{{Main|Medical cannabis}}
<!-- PLEASE, do not add more detail to this section, contributions are more than welcome at [[Medical cannabis]] THANKS. -->
Medical cannabis (or medical marijuana) refers to the use of cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids, in an effort to treat disease or improve symptoms. Cannabis is used to [[antiemetic|reduce nausea and vomiting]] during [[chemotherapy]], to improve appetite in people with [[HIV/AIDS]], and to treat [[chronic pain]] and [[muscle spasms]].<ref name=Borgelt2013>{{cite journal | vauthors = Borgelt LM, Franson KL, Nussbaum AM, Wang GS | title = The pharmacologic and clinical effects of medical cannabis | journal = Pharmacotherapy | volume = 33 | issue = 2 | pages = 195–209 | date = February 2013 | pmid = 23386598 | doi = 10.1002/phar.1187 | type = Review | s2cid = 8503107 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.1017.1935 }}</ref><ref name=JAMA2015>{{cite journal | vauthors = Whiting PF, Wolff RF, Deshpande S, Di Nisio M, Duffy S, Hernandez AV, Keurentjes JC, Lang S, Misso K, Ryder S, Schmidlkofer S, Westwood M, Kleijnen J | display-authors = 6 | title = Cannabinoids for Medical Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | journal = JAMA | volume = 313 | issue = 24 | pages = 2456–2473 | date = 23 June 2015 | pmid = 26103030 | doi = 10.1001/jama.2015.6358 | url = http://jama.jamanetwork.com/data/journals/jama/934167/joi150059.pdf | access-date = 20 April 2018 | url-status = live | archive-date = 21 September 2017 | doi-access = free | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170921232733/http://jama.jamanetwork.com/data/journals/jama/934167/joi150059.pdf | hdl = 10757/558499 }}</ref> Cannabinoids are under preliminary research for their potential to affect [[stroke]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = England TJ, Hind WH, Rasid NA, O'Sullivan SE | title = Cannabinoids in experimental stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism | volume = 35 | issue = 3 | pages = 348–358 | date = March 2015 | pmid = 25492113 | pmc = 4348386 | doi = 10.1038/jcbfm.2014.218 }}</ref> Evidence is lacking for depression, anxiety, [[attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]], [[Tourette syndrome]], [[post-traumatic stress disorder]], and psychosis.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Black N, Stockings E, Campbell G, Tran LT, Zagic D, Hall WD, Farrell M, Degenhardt L | display-authors = 6 | title = Cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and symptoms of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = The Lancet. Psychiatry | volume = 6 | issue = 12 | pages = 995–1010 | date = December 2019 | pmid = 31672337 | pmc = 6949116 | doi = 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30401-8 }}</ref> Two [[extract]]s of cannabis &ndash; [[dronabinol]] and [[nabilone]] &ndash; are approved by the FDA as medications in pill form for treating the [[side effect]]s of [[chemotherapy]] and AIDS.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-safe-effective-medicine|title=Is marijuana safe and effective as medicine?|newspaper=National Institute on Drug Abuse |publisher=US National Institute on Drug Abuse|date=1 July 2020|access-date=6 November 2020|archive-date=21 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221223933/https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-safe-effective-medicine|url-status=live}}</ref>

Short-term use increases both minor and major adverse effects.<ref name=JAMA2015/> Common side effects include dizziness, feeling tired, vomiting, and hallucinations.<ref name=JAMA2015/> [[Long-term effects of cannabis]] are not clear.<ref name=Wang2008>{{cite journal | vauthors = Wang T, Collet JP, Shapiro S, Ware MA | title = Adverse effects of medical cannabinoids: a systematic review | journal = CMAJ | volume = 178 | issue = 13 | pages = 1669–78 | date = June 2008 | pmid = 18559804 | pmc = 2413308 | doi = 10.1503/cmaj.071178 }}</ref> Concerns including memory and cognition problems, risk of addiction, [[schizophrenia]] in young people, and the risk of children taking it by accident.<ref name=Borgelt2013/>

===Industrial use (hemp)===
{{Main|Cannabis (industrial uses)}}
[[File:Cannabis Sativa Querschnitt.JPG|thumb|upright|''Cannabis sativa'' stem longitudinal section]]
<!--This is a summary only of the Main Article. Any further detail should be placed in the Main Article.-->
The term ''hemp'' is used to name the durable soft fiber from the ''Cannabis'' [[plant stem]] (stalk). ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars are used for fibers due to their long stems; Sativa varieties may grow more than six metres tall. However, ''hemp'' can refer to any industrial or foodstuff product that is not intended for use as a drug. Many countries regulate limits for psychoactive compound ([[THC]]) concentrations in products labeled as hemp.

Cannabis for industrial uses is valuable in tens of thousands of commercial products, especially as fibre<ref name="naihc.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.naihc.org/hemp_information/hemp_facts.html|title=Hemp Facts|publisher=Naihc.org|access-date=17 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127055208/http://naihc.org/hemp_information/hemp_facts.html|archive-date=27 November 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> ranging from [[paper]], [[Rope|cordage]], [[Hemp#Composite materials|construction material]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Arrigoni |first=Alessandro |last2=Pelosato |first2=Renato |last3=Melià |first3=Paco |last4=Ruggieri |first4=Gianluca |last5=Sabbadini |first5=Sergio |last6=Dotelli |first6=Giovanni |date=2017-04-15 |title=Life cycle assessment of natural building materials: the role of carbonation, mixture components and transport in the environmental impacts of hempcrete blocks |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652617303876 |journal=Journal of Cleaner Production |volume=149 |pages=1051–1061 |doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.02.161 |issn=0959-6526|hdl=10446/131799 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Environmental Professionals Network |first= |date=2014-10-08 |title=The Prospects of Hemp Building Materials |url=https://environmentalprofessionalsnetwork.com/the-prospects-of-hemp-building-materials/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |language=en-US}}</ref> and textiles in general, to [[clothing]]. Hemp is stronger and longer-lasting than [[cotton]]. It also is a useful source of foodstuffs (hemp milk, hemp seed, hemp oil) and [[biofuels]]. Hemp has been used by many civilizations, from [[China]] to [[Europe]] (and later [[North America]]) during the last 12,000 years.<ref name="naihc.org"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hempfood.com/IHA/iha02111.html|title=The cultivation and use of hemp in ancient China|publisher=Hempfood.com|access-date=17 February 2011|archive-date=29 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129083110/http://www.hempfood.com/IHA/iha02111.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In modern times novel applications and improvements have been explored with modest commercial success.<ref name="Gertjan">{{cite journal|title=Hemp Pulp and Paper Production| vauthors = Van Roekel GJ |journal=Journal of the International Hemp Association|year=1994|url=http://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/hemp/IHA/iha01105.html|access-date=10 November 2011|archive-date=21 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021210825/http://druglibrary.org/olsen/hemp/IHA/iha01105.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Alberta">{{cite web|title=Industrial Hemp Production in Alberta|year=2011|url=http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/econ9631| vauthors = Atkinson G |publisher=Government of Alberta, Agriculture and Rural Development|location=CA|access-date=10 November 2011|archive-date=4 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104053513/http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/econ9631|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the US, "industrial hemp" is classified by the federal government as cannabis containing no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight. This classification was established in the [[2018 United States farm bill|2018 Farm Bill]] and was refined to include hemp-sourced extracts, cannabinoids, and derivatives in the definition of hemp.<ref name="cornell">{{Cite web |title=7 U.S. Code § 5940 – Legitimacy of industrial hemp research |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/7/5940 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222033600/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/7/5940 |archive-date=22 December 2020 |access-date=27 November 2018 |website=LII / Legal Information Institute}}</ref>

===Ancient and religious uses===
{{Main|Cannabis and religion|History of medical cannabis}}
[[File:Hash museum amsterdam.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Hash Marijuana & Hemp Museum|Cannabis Museum]] in [[Amsterdam]]]]
[[File:Kanepi valla vapp.svg|thumb|upright=0.7|''Cannabis'' leaf pictured in the coat of arms of [[Kanepi Parish]]]]
The Cannabis plant has a history of medicinal use dating back thousands of years across many cultures.<ref name=BenAmar2006>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ben Amar M | title = Cannabinoids in medicine: A review of their therapeutic potential | journal = Journal of Ethnopharmacology | volume = 105 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 1–25 | date = April 2006 | pmid = 16540272 | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2006.02.001 | url = http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/WPS3-MedMj/CannabinoidsMedMetaAnalysis06.pdf | type = Review | citeseerx = 10.1.1.180.308 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100524141419/http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/WPS3-MedMj/CannabinoidsMedMetaAnalysis06.pdf | df = dmy-all | url-status = dead | archive-date = 24 May 2010 }}</ref> The [[Yanghai Tombs]], a vast ancient cemetery (54 000 m<sup>2</sup>) situated in the [[Turfan]] district of the [[Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region]] in northwest China, have revealed the 2700-year-old grave of a [[shaman]]. He is thought to have belonged to the [[Jushi culture]] recorded in the area centuries later in the ''[[Hanshu]]'', Chap 96B.<ref>* {{cite book | vauthors = Hulsewé AF | date = 1979 | title = China in Central Asia: The Early Stage 125 BC – AD 23: an annotated translation of chapters 61 and 96 of the History of the Former Han Dynasty | publisher = E. J. Brill | location = Leiden | isbn = 978-90-04-05884-2 | page = 183 }}</ref> Near the head and foot of the shaman was a large leather basket and wooden bowl filled with 789g of cannabis, superbly preserved by climatic and burial conditions. An international team demonstrated that this material contained THC. The cannabis was presumably employed by this culture as a medicinal or psychoactive agent, or an aid to divination. This is the oldest documentation of cannabis as a pharmacologically active agent.<ref name="Russo">{{cite journal | vauthors = Russo EB, Jiang HE, Li X, Sutton A, Carboni A, del Bianco F, Mandolino G, Potter DJ, Zhao YX, Bera S, Zhang YB, Lü EG, Ferguson DK, Hueber F, Zhao LC, Liu CJ, Wang YF, Li CS | display-authors = 6 | title = Phytochemical and genetic analyses of ancient cannabis from Central Asia | journal = Journal of Experimental Botany | volume = 59 | issue = 15 | pages = 4171–82 | year = 2008 | pmid = 19036842 | pmc = 2639026 | doi = 10.1093/jxb/ern260 }}</ref> The earliest evidence of cannabis smoking has been found in the 2,500-year-old tombs of Jirzankal Cemetery in the [[Pamir Mountains]] in Western China, where cannabis residue were found in burners with charred pebbles possibly used during funeral rituals.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ren M, Tang Z, Wu X, Spengler R, Jiang H, Yang Y, Boivin N | title = The origins of cannabis smoking: Chemical residue evidence from the first millennium BCE in the Pamirs | journal = Science Advances | volume = 5 | issue = 6 | pages = eaaw1391 | date = June 2019 | pmid = 31206023 | pmc = 6561734 | doi = 10.1126/sciadv.aaw1391 | bibcode = 2019SciA....5.1391R }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/culture-history/2019/06/earliest-evidence-cannabis-smoking-discovered-ancient-tombs |title=Earliest evidence for cannabis smoking discovered in ancient tombs |date=14 June 2019 | vauthors = Donahue MZ |work=National Geographic |access-date=20 June 2019 |archive-date=20 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620231238/https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/culture-history/2019/06/earliest-evidence-cannabis-smoking-discovered-ancient-tombs |url-status=live }}</ref>

Settlements which date from c. 2200–1700 BCE in the [[Bactria]] and [[Margiana]] contained elaborate ritual structures with rooms containing everything needed for making drinks containing extracts from poppy (opium), hemp (cannabis), and [[Ephedra (plant)|ephedra]] (which contains [[ephedrine]]).<ref name = "Mallory_2000">{{cite book | vauthors = Mallory JP, Mair VH | date = 2000 | title = The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West | publisher = Thames & Hudson | location = London | isbn = 978-0-500-05101-6}}</ref>{{rp|262}} Although there is no evidence of ephedra being used by steppe tribes, they engaged in cultic use of hemp. Cultic use ranged from [[Romania]] to the [[Yenisei River]] and had begun by 3rd millennium BC Smoking hemp has been found at [[Pazyryk culture|Pazyryk]].<ref name = "Mallory_2000" />{{rp|306}}

''Cannabis'' is first referred to in [[Hindu]] [[Vedas]] between 2000 and 1400 BCE, in the ''[[Atharvaveda]]''. By the 10th century CE, it has been suggested that it was referred to by some in India as "food of the gods".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/history/first12000/1.htm|title=Marijuana – The First Twelve Thousand Years| vauthors = Abel EL |year=1980|access-date=30 June 2009|archive-date=28 June 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210628135448/https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/history/first12000/1.htm|url-status=live}} Chapter 1: Cannabis in the Ancient World. India: The First Marijuana-Oriented Culture.</ref> Cannabis use eventually became a ritual part of the Hindu festival of [[Holi]]. One of the earliest to use this plant in medical purposes was [[Korakkar]], one of the 18 [[Siddha]]s.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YaY-AAAAcAAJ&q=tamil+ganja&pg=PR88|title=Classified Catalogue of Tamil Printed Books: With Introductory Notices| vauthors = Murdoch J |date=1 January 1865|publisher=Christian vernacular education society|language=en|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=11 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311032539/https://books.google.com/books?id=YaY-AAAAcAAJ&q=tamil+ganja&pg=PR88|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zKLRAwAAQBAJ&q=korakkar&pg=PA52|title=Parkinson's Disease Dravidian Cure Chintarmony System| vauthors = Jayaprasad V |date=5 July 2012 |publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-105-91788-2 |language=en|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=11 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311032541/https://books.google.com/books?id=zKLRAwAAQBAJ&q=korakkar&pg=PA52|url-status=live}}{{self-published source|date=February 2020}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}} The plant is called ''Korakkar Mooli'' in the [[Tamil language]], meaning Korakkar's herb.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q4HDDAAAQBAJ&q=tamil+ganja&pg=PT568|title=History of Medical and Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu| vauthors = Karthigayan P |date=1 August 2016|publisher=Notion Press|isbn=9789352065523|language=en|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=11 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311032506/https://books.google.com/books?id=Q4HDDAAAQBAJ&q=tamil+ganja&pg=PT568|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JwkrAAAAYAAJ&q=korakkar|title=A Primer of Tamil Literature| vauthors = Pillai MS |date=1 January 1904|publisher=Ananda Press|language=en|access-date=25 August 2017|archive-date=11 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311032507/https://books.google.com/books?id=JwkrAAAAYAAJ&q=korakkar|url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[Buddhism]], cannabis is generally regarded as an intoxicant and may be a hindrance to development of [[Buddhist meditation|meditation]] and [[Sati (Buddhism)|clear awareness]]. In ancient [[Germanic peoples|Germanic culture]], ''Cannabis'' was associated with the [[Norse mythology|Norse]] love goddess, [[Freya]].<ref name="pilcher">{{cite book| vauthors = Pilcher T |title=Spliffs 3: The Last Word in Cannabis Culture?|year=2005|page=34|publisher=Collins & Brown Publishers|isbn=978-1-84340-310-4 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| vauthors = Vindheim JB |url=http://www.vindheim.net/hamp/hemp.html|title=The History of Hemp in Norway|website=The Journal of Industrial Hemp|publisher=International Hemp Association|access-date=30 June 2009|archive-date=26 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326080729/http://www.vindheim.net/hamp/hemp.html|url-status=live}}</ref> An anointing oil mentioned in Exodus is, by some translators, said to contain ''Cannabis''.<ref>{{cite book| vauthors = Kaplan A |title=The Living Torah|location=New York|year=1981|page=442|isbn=978-0-940118-35-5|title-link=The Living Torah}}</ref>

In modern times, the [[Rastafari movement]] has embraced ''Cannabis'' as a sacrament.<ref>{{cite book|title=Dread, The Rastafarians of Jamaica|url=https://archive.org/details/dreadrastafarian00owen|url-access=registration| vauthors = Owens J |isbn=978-0-435-98650-6|year=1982|publisher=Heinemann|location=London|author-link=Joseph Owens (Jesuit)}}</ref> Elders of the [[Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church]], a [[religious movement]] founded in the U.S. in 1975 with no ties to either [[Ethiopia]] or the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic Church]], consider ''Cannabis'' to be the [[Eucharist]], claiming it as an oral tradition from Ethiopia dating back to the time of [[Christ]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/potbible.htm|title=Marijuana and the Bible|publisher=Schaffer Library of Drug Policy|author=The Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church|access-date=13 September 2007|archive-date=27 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927221734/http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/potbible.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Like the Rastafari, some modern [[Gnostic]] Christian sects have asserted that ''Cannabis'' is the [[Tree of Life (Judeo-Christian)|Tree of Life]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.writsdc.com/make-cannabis-oil/|title=Zion Light Ministry|access-date=20 August 2007|archive-date=27 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027205948/http://www.writsdc.com/make-cannabis-oil/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| vauthors = Bennett LC, Osburn JO |title=Green Gold: the Tree of LifeMarijuana in Magic & Religion|publisher=Access Unlimited|year=1938|isbn=978-0-9629872-2-9|page=418}}</ref> Other organized [[religions]] founded in the 20th century that treat ''Cannabis'' as a [[sacrament]] are the [[THC Ministry]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thc-ministry.org/|title=The Hawai'i Cannabis Ministry|access-date=13 September 2007|archive-date=28 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928231149/http://www.thc-ministry.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Cantheism]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebeneezer.net/ritual/vegetable/offsite/Cantheist.html|title=Cantheism|access-date=13 September 2007|archive-date=27 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927193240/http://www.ebeneezer.net/ritual/vegetable/offsite/Cantheist.html|url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Cannabis Assembly]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cannabisassembly.org/|title=Cannabis Assembly|access-date=13 September 2007|archive-date=27 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927134910/http://www.cannabisassembly.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Church of Cognizance]].

Since the 13th century CE, cannabis has been used among [[Sufi]]s<ref name="Ferrara">{{cite book |title=Sacred Bliss: A Spiritual History of Cannabis |vauthors=Ferrara MS |date=20 Oct 2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-7192-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=A Comprehensive Guide to Cannabis Literature |vauthors=Ernest A |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1979 |isbn=978-0-313-20721-1 |page=14}}</ref> – the mystical interpretation of [[Islam]] that exerts strong influence over local Muslim practices in [[Bangladesh]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Turkey]], and [[Pakistan]]. Cannabis preparations are frequently used at Sufi festivals in those countries.<ref name="Ferrara"/> Pakistan's [[Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar]] in [[Sindh]] province is particularly renowned for the widespread use of cannabis at the shrine's celebrations, especially its annual ''[[Urs]]'' festival and Thursday evening ''dhamaal'' sessions – or meditative dancing sessions.<ref>{{cite news| vauthors = Chapple A |title=Music, Dancing, And Tolerance -- Pakistan's Embattled Sufi Minority|url=http://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-sufi-attacks/28315772.html|access-date=8 April 2017|agency=RFERL|date=17 February 2017|quote=During the festival the air is heavy with drumbeats, chanting and cannabis smoke.|archive-date=9 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409021342/http://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-sufi-attacks/28315772.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Islamic Reform in South Asia">{{cite book| vauthors = Osella F, Osella C |title=Islamic Reform in South Asia|date=2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-03175-3 |pages=65, 509}}</ref>