Cannabis and history -

20 Vintage photos that prove cannabis was more popular than you thought

If you thought that cannabis was a cool, modern substance, then there's nothing quite like looking back in time and discovering that our great-great-grandparents' generation was already using this plant in much the same way we do today, at least until the moral crusades of the 1920s cut the habit short. And what better to verify this than with photographs of cannabis use that reached all strata of our Western society, from the lowest with hemp production (for almost 3,000 years the largest agricultural crop on the planet) to the highest, where doctors, aristocrats and intellectuals used cannabis to heal body and mind; or to expand the consciousness. The romantic movement informed humanity that if you wish to transcend the limitations of the flesh, look to nature because nature has the answer. Some people took this literally.

Be weed, my friend: Bruce Lee and cannabis

In July 1973 the world lost one of its greatest martial arts icons. Lee Jun-fan, affectionately known as Bruce Lee, actor, director, instructor, and a true artist in all senses of the word. The founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid fighting philosophy drawing on different fighting disciplines, he started the Kung-fu craze in the 1970s, transforming himself into an agile fighter who could do two-finger push-ups and send burly men flying with his famous faster-than-lightning punch. But what many don't know is that Bruce Lee was a regular cannabis user. This is not the kind of story one usually hears about him, because since he died at the age of 32, the legend of him has grown to such mythological levels that many call him “Kung-fu Jesus”. However, after his death, rumours abounded that cannabis had been found in his stomach during his autopsy and was considered one of the main contributing factors in his death. Cannabis made Bruce Lee a survivor According to several of the authorised biographies written about him (books such as 'The Tao of Bruce Lee' or 'Bruce Lee, the Man of Steel'), in 1969 he seriously injured his back during a routine training session. He was told that he would never be able to practice martial arts again and that he would not be able to walk normally. Devastated by this news, Bruce became an investigator of his injury, of his body, and ultimately created his own path to healing.

Cannabis in Nepal

The history of cannabis cultivation and use in Nepal goes back centuries, being one of the countries with the longest cannabis tradition in the world. Nepal is located in the heart of the Himalayan mountain range, wedged between China and India and within its borders lie 8 of the world's 14 mountains over 8,000 metres high. It is therefore a mountainous country with impressive water reserves, which, in addition to the annual monsoon season, means that cannabis grows wild without any problems. Over the centuries, Nepal has made a name for itself in cannabis culture for several reasons, such as its spectacular sativas, its incomparable handmade hashish or charas, and the natural way in which consumption was handled by the authorities (as well as the arrival of western tourists attracted by precisely these reasons) during the 60s and early 70s. Today we are going to take a closer look at this wonderful and beautiful country to learn more about its history in relation to cannabis.

Mohan Ram and feminised cannabis seeds

Throughout the 1990s, particularly in the later years of the decade, the first feminised seeds emerged on the cannabis seed market. For the first time, growers did not have to worry about removing males, or about filling in the gaps left in the crop once they were discarded, or about accidental pollination of their plants... a true revolution had begun within the sector, and feminised seeds became a hit! What for a few years seemed like some kind of a rarity to many, soon became the most demanded type of seeds in the sector, meaning that at the start of the new millennium there were already many other seed banks that had joined the wave of feminisation and had begun to produce their varieties (also new and interesting hybrids) in a feminised version. Although each breeder had his own technique of reversing the sex of female plants to produce "feminised pollen", without a doubt one of the most used was, and still is, silver thiosulfate or STS. But where does this technique come from? Who was the first to put it into practice? Keep reading if you want to know the answer!

10 women of yesterday, today and for the ages who left their marks on cannabis culture

We often portray marijuana use in history as exclusively male, but nothing could be further from the truth; from ancient medieval herbalists, to society today, cannabis has been used to enhance women's well-being through the centuries. And, while we still have a lot of work to do with regards to the legality and stigma surrounding this plant, today we introduce you to 10 famous and historic women who used cannabis to change their lives and those of others, thereby playing a crucial role in bringing its many benefits to light.

The genetic origin of cannabis

A study by researchers at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), which was published in the Science Advances journal in 2021, analyses the cannabis genome in an attempt to uncover the history of the domestication of the plant for cultivation purposes. Cannabis sativa L. is one of the first domesticated plants and one of the most controversial, with genetics that have fluctuated over the centuries with the social, economic, and cultural development of different human societies. Even though it was originally a great source of food, textiles, and hemp seed oil, this type of crop experienced a steep decline in the 20th century in favour of the expansion of recreational marihuana.

The Vavilov Institute, the first seed bank in history

In the heart of the city of St. Petersburg, just behind Saint Isaac's Cathedral, there is a building whose tsarist-era ministerial façade belies the importance of the collection housed behind its walls. Within, stacked under vaulted ceilings and in long hallways, wooden cabinets hold the seeds of hundreds of thousands of plant varieties, many of which have disappeared from their original habitat or growing areas. This is the Vavílov Institute, an institution already hailed as "the guardian of lost plants", a nickname that perfectly illustrates the role it plays as a defence against the new threats to global biodiversity posed by climate change, industrial agriculture, and globalisation. More formally known as the Vavílov Institute of Plant Industry (VIR), this institution was founded in 1924 by botanist and geneticist Nikolai Vavílov, one of the first scientists to recognise the importance of conserving plant genetic resources. The institute is the oldest seed bank in the world and houses a priceless collection of more than 400,000 samples of different plant species. It is arguably the largest (and oldest) collection of plant genetics in existence, primarily in the form of meticulously catalogued seeds from all parts of our planet.

What was the first thing sold online? Cannabis, of course!

When we think back to the early days of computers and the internet, we often imagine very primitive machines and systems that took hours to send a simple email. But it turns out that, from the very moment of genesis of the network of networks, there was one thing that people made sure could be bought and sold: cannabis.

History of cannabis prohibition

As we have already seen in earlier articles such as our post on the history of cannabis cultivation, the relationship between humans and this plant dates back millennia. Since time immemorial, this relationship has been characterised by humanity's exploitation of the various facets of cannabis use, from the social or recreational to the medicinal, not forgetting the textile and industrial, religious or spiritual uses. However, since ancient times, this relationship has also been marked by the desire of some to prohibit its use, often as a simple tool to increase the control that the ruling classes hold over other, less favoured, classes of society. Today we invite you to delve into the history of cannabis prohibition and learn in more detail how it came to be established, practically on a global level, during the 20th century.

Spiritual, religious, and traditional use of cannabis

Since mankind first used cannabis it has always been considered as a holy or spiritual plant, thanks to the altered state of consciousness brought on by its consumption. For many religions, sects and creeds across the globe, the cannabis plant has become integral to the way rituals are celebrated and to the observance of religious tradition. We hope you enjoy this Alchimiaweb blog article where we'll take a look at a some of the most prominent religious, spiritual and traditional uses of cannabis. Jamaica, Rastafarians and Cannabis The Rastafarian faith began in Jamaica during the 1930s, created partly by Leonard Percival Howell who is considered the first Rastafarian in history. It was born partly from a social movement on the part of Jamaica's black working-class in rejection of the dominance of the white colonists and the middle-class, serving, in particular, to give pride back to the black people of Jamaica, the descendants of the slaves brought to the island. The Rastafarian doctrine is not particularly strict and its followers often adapt it depending on how they personally perceive it. Some Rastafarians believe that Jesus Christ came back to Earth, reborn in the form of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I and as such consider him a representation of God (Jah) on Earth. The Rasta doctrine promotes or praises a return (spiritual or physical) of all black people to Africa and believes that Ethiopia represents Mount Zion or the Promised Land.

The origins of blunts

Nowadays, it?s very usual to see someone rolling or smoking a cannabis cigarette wrapped in a tobacco leaf, as the popularity of this type of papers has skyrocketed over the last few years, thanks partly to the publicity - direct or indirect - given to it by many celebrities and figures from different backgrounds. In addition to this, as many of you might know, there are blunts with a wide range of aromas added to them, so apart from altering the smell of the content, they also make it considerably less of a giveaway. However, this type of rolling leaf is a relatively novel product, since blunts go back decades to when people used to roll cannabis in tobacco leaves, or strip a cigar and use its outer cover as rolling paper. Today we are taking a closer look into the history of blunts, on a journey that will take us from the Caribbean in the 19th century to the cannabis dispensaries and clubs of the modern age.

Thai sticks and cannagars

During the 1970s, the American cannabis scene discovered a new and revolutionary product originating from an exotic land: the Thai Stick. And while nowadays it might seem impossible, back then cannabis was a taboo subject in American culture, and very few people cultivated their own plants. In contrast, most of the weed they used came from the overseas market, particularly Central America and the Caribbean, but a large share of this marijuana cargo originated in Asia. The explanation is simple: at the time, many hippies embarked on an adventure - that became known as the Hippie Hashish Trail - to visit some of the world's biggest cannabis and hashish producers, from Morocco to South East Asia, through countries like Egypt, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, among others. Naturally, drug-trafficking networks were soon established between all of these countries and the US as the cargo destination, mostly created by young American "tourists" with great entrepreneurial talent and very little interest in what could happen to them if they were caught.

Cannabis in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in central Asia, wedged between the western foothills of the Hindu Kush and the deserts of Iran, is a country with one of the greatest traditions of cannabis cultivation and, more specifically, of hashish production. Since it is believed that cannabis originated thousands of years ago on the slopes of the Himalayas (home of the largest mountains in the world), today it seems obvious that this was one of the first places where this plant was cultivated in a controlled manner, although even now there is still some confusion as to what kind of varieties have been traditionally grown in this area, as well as the "emergence" of the Afghan genotype, or in other words, what we now refer to as Afghan varieties. What is clear is that Afghanistan is one of the cradles of cannabis and especially of hashish, with a tradition that today represents what would probably be the world's oldest in terms of the development of hash. In addition, and according to the UNODC, in recent years Afghanistan has become the world's largest producer of this resin concentrate, surpassing Morocco and seeing the cultivation of cannabis gradually displace that of another traditional crop in the Golden Triangle area, that of opium.

Origins of cannabis cultivation

Where did cannabis originate? Mankind and cannabis have maintained a close relationship throughout the History. Although scientific and archaeological evidence allows us to estimate the date and place where it originated, it is difficult to establish its exact place - and time - of origin.

Origins and evolution of Moroccan hashish

Origins of Moroccan hashish Despite Moroccan hash is often considered an ancient, traditional product by many Europeans, the truth is that hashish culture in Morocco is relatively young, especially when compared to traditional producing countries of this cannabis concentrate. Indeed, while hashish production in areas like Middle East and Central Asia dates back centuries, this technique had not been used in Northern Africa until the second half of the 20th century, when Western travellers from the "Hippy Hashish Trail" brought the dry sieving technique to Morocco from Lebanon and Afghanistan. These travellers - most of them coming from the USA - visited countries where cannabis, hashish, opium and other drugs were traditionally produced, enjoying the freedom that one could find back then in some places of the world. Lebanon, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India - and Kashmir - or Nepal were compulsory stops in this amazing and exotic route. That's where some of this travellers were taught about ancient techniques to produce dry sift, which were then improved to achieve industrial production levels. Soon after, some of these travellers visited Morocco and taught the locals about how to make hashish from cannabis plants and how to prepare it for export.

Brief history of hashish

Early records of hashish use