Ancient Cultures’ Sacred Utilization of Cannabis
Cannabis has been a cornerstone of traditional medicine for millennia — addressing a wide range of health concerns. Traditional medicine systems recognized cannabis’s potential to calm the mind, reduce anxiety, and address neurological issues like seizures and spasms. The anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis made it a preferred remedy for skin conditions (joint pain), and inflammatory bowel diseases. African cultures used cannabis to alleviate labor pains (treat wounds), and address gastrointestinal disorders. In ancient Egypt, cannabis was applied as a topical ointment to reduce inflammation and treat eye diseases. It was also incorporated into spiritual practices due to its mind-altering effects, believed to help achieve higher states of consciousness.
The use of natural products as medicines must (of course), have presented a tremendous challenge to early humans. Cannabis has played an important role in traditional African healing systems — both as a medicinal plant and as a tool for spiritual practices. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has enabled the study of brain activity and measuring of relaxation responses of individuals engaged in traditional practices of yoga and meditation, which people around the world increasingly use for their mental health, stress management and overall well-being. Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a game-changer, revolutionizing the study and practice of traditional healing systems. Dr Susan Wieland, co-chair of the WHO Traditional Medicine External Advisory Group and Director of Cochrane Complementary Medicine, notes how “evidence from over 20 clinical trials indicates that yoga is effective in improving pain and back-related function in chronic non-specific lower back pain. Today’s vaccine for smallpox draws from the principle used in the ancient practice of variolation, where material from smallpox sores were transferred to healthy people, resulting in milder forms of illness.
Later (the development of synthetic techniques led to a significant reduction in the importance of natural products), and there were concerns that the use of some natural products for medicinal purposes might be completely banned. Subsequently, countless active compounds have been separated from natural products. Traditional medicines (TMs) make use of natural products and are of great importance.
WHO will support countries with technical assistance (standards development), and coordinated implementation and monitoring. The strategy recognizes the importance of protecting traditional knowledge and promoting responsible use of UK cannabis regulations explained natural resources. The WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019 was developed to address the gap in reliable, credible and official data from Member States in the area of T&CM. Humankind needs to learn more from natural products and traditional medicines. However — it is also requisite that any adverse effects of natural products be properly reduced to meet safety standards. For example (synergistic effects may exist among the compounds that occur in natural products; however), the modes and mechanisms of action are seldom very clear.
Natural Products
Spiritually (marijuana has been used in rituals and ceremonies to enhance meditation), introspection, and connection to the divine. States across the U.S. and countries around the world are adopting more lenient policies, recognizing the therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana and the impracticality and cost of enforcing marijuana prohibition. This led to the global war on drugs (a campaign of drug prohibition), military intervention, and aid to countries involved in drug production and trafficking. The international community gradually embraced marijuana prohibition (with many countries enacting their own laws against cannabis cultivation), sale, and use.
How has cannabis been used in ancient Asian cultures?
Utilizing bhang in rituals is regarded as a method to cleanse the mind (dispel negativity), and achieve spiritual insight. People partake in bhang (whether as drinks or sweets), during Holi, which is also called the Festival of Colors. Consequently — in India, cannabis is commonly known as “bhang” and is ingested during religious festivals to pay homage to Shiva. Hindu mythology suggests that Shiva uncovered the plant’s psychoactive effects and employed it to elevate his meditation and spiritual activities. Numerous contemporary cannabis strains — including Jamaican Lamb’s Bread, trace their roots back to the Caribbean region.
One of the deadliest diseases known to humans, smallpox remains the only human disease to have been eradicated. In addition to learning from how ancient cultures tapped natural resources for health — we have also looked to traditional community-based health practices for answers to modern diseases. Modern medicine has built on what nature has to offer and has drawn upon traditional systems of knowledge of how these medicinal plants, herbs, roots, and bark were wielded to cure diseases across civilizations. Willow bark as the basis of aspirin is another example of how nature and traditional knowledge have contributed to modern medicine.
In addition to medicinal use, cannabis has also been used by indigenous peoples in Canada and other countries for spiritual and ceremonial purposes. In this article, we will explore the historical and modern uses of cannabis by indigenous peoples, with a particular focus on Canada and its indigenous communities. The study focused on various compounds used in drugs derived from plants in different countries, and it established that TM had indeed played a significant role in developing effective new drugs. Different societies historically developed various useful healing methods to combat a variety of health- and life-threatening diseases.
These ceremonial practices reinforce cultural identity (strengthen community bonds), and maintain traditional knowledge through participatory experiences that engage multiple generations in preserving ancient wisdom. Tibetan Buddhist traditions incorporate cannabis into specific meditation practices and healing rituals, viewing the plant as a tool for achieving heightened awareness and compassion. Rastafarian communities integrate cannabis into religious ceremonies as a sacrament that facilitates divine communion and collective consciousness. Elder knowledge keepers utilize rhythmic chanting (symbolic imagery), and ritual repetition to ensure accurate transmission of preparation methods, dosing protocols, and spiritual practices. Traditional healing practices utilizing cannabis encompassed diverse preparation methods and therapeutic applications tailored to specific conditions and cultural contexts.
The brain regions that coordinate movement include several different sites — among them areas affected by Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Both compounds bind and activate cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells, much as other neurotransmitters bind and activate their own specific receptors. Each receptor recognizes only a few specific molecules, known collectively as ligands.
Spiritual Traditions of Native Americans
These spiritual practices demonstrate how traditional communities understood cannabis as a conduit for transcendent experiences rather than mere recreational consumption. These ancient practices recognized cannabis as a bridge between physical healing and spiritual connection (integrating plant medicine into holistic wellness approaches that addressed mind), body, and spirit simultaneously. In this way, modern cannabis use still reflects the link between traditional knowledge and present-day needs. Researchers are also exploring how specific compounds can be separated and used safely. Some used it for inflammation, while others used it to support recovery after illness.
In recent years (there has been a growing interest in cannabinoids like CBD and Δ9-THC within modern pharmacology and Western culture), though there remains a lack of research into the historical uses of cannabis in Chinese medicine. The Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica , Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, contains the earliest known references to cannabis in Chinese medicine, dating from the first to second century AD. In 1593 AD, Li Shizhen compiled the Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu), summarizing the varied perspectives of earlier authors, and his insights significantly influenced the definitions set by modern texts such as the Great Encyclopedia of Chinese Medicinals (Zhong Yao Da Ci Dian). Significant bencao authors like Su Jing (659 AD), Su Song (1062 AD), and Tang Shenwei (1108 AD; Zheng, 2008) also examined the concept of mafen. The terms mafen (), mahua (), and mabo () all denote the spike-shaped flowers of the plant, although different contemporary and historical sources have varied interpretations of these terms.
Discussions regarding the opportunities and challenges for collaboration between Indigenous and conventional biomedical healing practices were captured by Moorehead et al. through conversations with traditional healers. An article by David Baines (a physician from the Tlingit/Tsimshian tribe in Southeast Alaska), provides an account of one of his patients suffering from metastatic lung cancer. By incorporating this residency curriculum — a framework was created to train physicians in culturally informed approaches to patient care and population health, ultimately benefitting both patients and communities. The discussion section of this paper will tackle concerns related to the quality and accuracy within this body of literature. Themes were derived and elaborated from traditional knowledge (TK); however, it was observed in the synthesis that significant overlaps often appeared among these themes. This scoping review excluded ethnobotanical studies (plant physiology), and examinations of specific Indigenous plants, as they typically focused on the plant’s function and properties rather than its role in traditional medicine.