From its origins on the Tibetan plateau, humans have transported cannabis across the planet
Alexis Wnuk
Currently, the only continent where cannabis is not cultivated is Antarctica. It wasn’t always like that, though. Why then has this “weed” become so ubiquitous?
We played a significant role in the project’s success. Cannabis is widely believed to have originated on the Tibetan plateau about 28 million years ago, when it diverged from its last common ancestor with the hop plant. It’s possible that the earliest humans accidentally helped spread it. Cannabis required open, sunny regions with fertile soil, which were provided by removing vegetation for communities and accumulating food wastes in trash dumps. Some researchers call it a “camp follower” since it spreads so quickly from place to place.
The cannabis plant has been used for a variety of purposes by humans since at least 12,000 years ago, when humanity first started farming. Although evidence for the medicinal and mind-altering properties of the resin-coated bracts is relatively recent, the stalks may have been dried to generate fibres, the seeds could have been eaten or used to manufacture oil, and the bracts could have been used in any of these ways.
Because of the plant’s usefulness, humans quickly became one of its most important dissemination agents. Seeds aren’t protected by fruit, so animals are less likely to eat them; seeds are heavy and spherical, so they can’t float away on the wind; and there are no wings on the seeds.
Around 2000 B.C., nomads brought the plant to the Indian subcontinent, eastern Europe, and the Middle East from its original home on the Tibetan plateau. Different strains of cannabis arose when the plant was cultivated for a wider range of purposes, notably for its psychotropic effects. There is some controversy as to whether or not Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica are truly distinct species or simply different cultivars of the same genus.
By the Middle Ages, cannabis was cultivated across Europe, and it had been transported to Africa and Southeast Asia by Arab and Indian merchants. Finally, beginning in the 16th century, colonial empires introduced the plant to the Americas.
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FAQs
Q1: Where did cannabis originate?
A1: Cannabis is believed to have originated on the Tibetan plateau about 28 million years ago.
Q2: How did humans contribute to the spread of cannabis?
A2: Humans played a significant role in spreading cannabis by creating open, sunny environments with fertile soil ideal for its growth.
Q3: When did humans first use cannabis?
A3: Cannabis has been used by humans for various purposes for at least 12,000 years, dating back to the early days of farming.
Q4: What are some historical uses of the cannabis plant?
A4: Historically, cannabis stalks were used for fibers, seeds for oil, and bracts for various purposes, including medicinal and mind-altering properties.
Q5: How did cannabis spread to different regions?
A5: Nomads brought cannabis to the Indian subcontinent, eastern Europe, and the Middle East around 2000 B.C. It continued to spread globally through trade and colonial empires.
