Discover the History of Cannabis Rituals

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OyERp5ck5dk&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD

Ancient Israelites burned cannabis as part of their religious rituals, an archaeological study has found.

A well-preserved substance found in a 2,700-year-old temple in Tel Arad has been identified as cannabis, including its psychoactive compound THC.

Researchers concluded that cannabis may have been burned in order to induce a high among worshippers.

This is the first evidence of psychotropic drugs being used in early Jewish worship, Israeli media report.

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-52847175.amp

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8ksYiU_mC34

 https://dragon-cannabis.com/en/2022/01/28/ancient-egypt-and-cannabis/

Many believe that “shemshemet” (the name of cannabis on the Egyptian hieroglyphs) became popular even before Egyptians built the pyramids. It is supposed to be created by the Sun God Ra. Unfortunately, the fall of the ancient superpower completely diminished the importance of this plant and after some time it completely vanished from everyday lives of the inhabitants.

In 1981, when pharaoh Ramesses II. Mummy was examined, they found traces of cannabis on his mummified body. Moreover, after this find, archeologists found many other mummies with similar traces of the plant in their systems. Researchers also found traces of THC in the lungs of mummified Egyptians, which points to the fact they may have used cannabis for medicinal purposes before their death. These discoveries confirmed the suspicion, that cannabis in ancient Egypt was a very important part of the culture. 

Sacred Smoke: Cannabis in Ancient Indian Spirituality
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-l_c9eWBfbo&pp=0gcJCX4JAYcqIYzv

Unravelling The Sacred Connection

https://cannabismuseum-amsterdam.com/cannabis-in-ancient-india/

Ancient India, a land of rich cultural heritage and profound spirituality, has an intimate history with cannabis. The plant, known as “ganja” or “bhang,” played a significant role in various aspects of Indian society, particularly in religious and spiritual contexts. Moreover, cannabis has been intertwined with India’s spiritual fabric for millennia, and comprehending its ancient use can shed light on the profound influence it has had on the culture and spiritual practices of the subcontinent.

The earliest references to cannabis in ancient India can be found in the sacred texts known as the Vedas, which date back to around 1500 to 500 BCE. These texts are the foundation of Hinduism and contain a wealth of knowledge on various subjects, including rituals and religious practices.

In the Vedas, cannabis is referred to as “bhang.” It is mentioned as one of the five sacred plants, along with soma (a mysterious plant used in rituals), barley, darbha grass, and mudga (a type of bean). Bhang was revered for its psychoactive properties, which were believed to bring people closer to the divine realm.

https://www.science.org/content/article/oldest-evidence-marijuana-use-discovered-2500-year-old-cemetery-peaks-western-china

The cannabis burned 2500 years ago at the Jirzankal cemetery, 3000 meters high in the Pamir Mountains in far western China, was different. Excavations there have uncovered skeletons and wooden plates, bowls, and Chinese harps, as well as wooden braziers that held burning material. All are typical of the Sogdians, a people of western China and Tajikistan who generally followed the Persian faith of Zoroastrianism, which later celebrated the mind-expanding properties of cannabis in sacred texts. At Jirzankal, glass beads typical of Western Asia and silk from China confirm the long-distance trade for which the Sogdians became famous, and isotopic analysis of 34 skeletons showed that nearly a third were migrants. Radiocarbon analysis put the burials at about 500 B.C.E.

The wooden braziers were concentrated in the more elite tombs. Yang's and Ren's team ground bits of brazier into powder and applied gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify chemical compounds left behind. They found unusually high levels of THC compared with typical wild cannabis, although much less than in today's highly bred plants. The cannabis was apparently burned in an enclosed space, so mourners almost certainly inhaled THC-laced fumes, the authors say, making this the earliest solid evidence of cannabis use for psychoactive purposes.

https://www.veriheal.com/blog/cannabis-in-ancient-rituals-unearthing-cultural-and-spiritual-uses-of-the-plant/

AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL HISTORY OF CANNABIS RITUALS

Examining the ancient rituals involving cannabis offers a compelling glimpse into the profound and enduring significance of this plant in the human experience. Historical practices reveal the profound intertwining of cannabis with spiritual, medicinal, mystical, and divine practices across diverse cultures. The complex relationship between human culture and this versatile plant still holds many mysteries, but despite the modern stigmatization that surrounds cannabis, its traditional use in human history suggests that the plant has had widespread and longstanding cultural significance in connecting humans to the natural and spiritual worlds.