'The 789 grams of dried cannabis was buried alongside a light-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian man, likely a shaman of the Gushi culture, near Turpan in northwestern China.'

By The Canadian Press / November 27, 2008

OTTAWA – Researchers say they have located the world's oldest stash of marijuana, in a tomb in a remote part of China. The cache of cannabis is about 2,700 years old and was clearly "cultivated for psychoactive purposes," rather than as fibre for clothing or as food, says a research paper in the Journal of Experimental Botany.
The 789 grams of dried cannabis was buried alongside a light-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian man, likely a shaman of the Gushi culture, near Turpan in northwestern China. The extremely dry conditions and alkaline soil acted as preservatives, allowing a team of scientists to carefully analyze the stash, which still looked green though it had lost its distinctive odour.

"To our knowledge, these investigations provide the oldest documentation of cannabis as a pharmacologically active agent," says the newly published paper, whose lead author was American neurologist Dr. Ethan B. Russo. Remnants of cannabis have been found in ancient Egypt and other sites, and the substance has been referred to by authors such as the Greek historian Herodotus. But the tomb stash is the oldest so far that could be thoroughly tested for its properties.

The 18 researchers, most of them based in China, subjected the cannabis to a battery of tests, including carbon dating and genetic analysis. Scientists also tried to germinate 100 of the seeds found in the cache, without success. The marijuana was found to have a relatively high content of THC, the main active ingredient in cannabis, but the sample was too old to determine a precise percentage.

Researchers also could not determine whether the cannabis was smoked or ingested, as there were no pipes or other clues in the tomb of the shaman, who was about 45 years old. The large cache was contained in a leather basket and in a wooden bowl, and was likely meant to be used by the shaman in the afterlife. "This materially is unequivocally cannabis, and no material has previously had this degree of analysis possible," Russo said in an interview from Missoula, Mont.

"It was common practice in burials to provide materials needed for the afterlife. No hemp or seeds were provided for fabric or food. Rather, cannabis as medicine or for visionary purposes was supplied." The tomb also contained bridles, archery equipment and a harp, confirming the man's high social standing.

Russo is a full-time consultant with GW Pharmaceuticals, which makes Sativex, a cannabis-based medicine approved in Canada for pain linked to multiple sclerosis and cancer. The company operates a cannabis-testing laboratory at a secret location in southern England to monitor crop quality for producing Sativex, and allowed Russo use of the facility for tests on 11 grams of the tomb cannabis. Researchers needed about 10 months to cut red tape barring the transfer of the cannabis to England from China, Russo said.

The inter-disciplinary study was published this week by the British-based botany journal, which uses independent reviewers to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of all submitted papers. The substance has been found in two of the 500 Gushi tombs excavated so far in northwestern China, indicating that cannabis was either restricted for use by a few individuals or was administered as a medicine to others through shamans, Russo said.

"It certainly does indicate that cannabis has been used by man for a variety of purposes for thousands of years."

Russo, who had a neurology practice for 20 years, has previously published studies examining the history of cannabis. "I hope we can avoid some of the political liabilities of the issue," he said, referring to his latest paper. The region of China where the tomb is located, Xinjiang, is considered an original source of many cannabis strains worldwide.

For a more scientific paper on this topic, visit:  Phytochemical and genetic analyses of ancient cannabis from Central Asia

For an even deeper  scientific paper on this topic, visit:   http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/59/15/417

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  ancient marijuana historyThe discovery of THC in Egyptian mummies is not surprising considering that cannabis is indigenous to the Middle East. There is general consensus that the Ancient Egyptian word "shemshemet" means cannabis. There is also cited evidence of cannabis use in the pyramid texts and cannabis is thought to have been used as a drug since pharaonic times. Hemp has been found in the tomb of Amenophis III (1382 - 1344BC) and cannabis pollen has also been identified on the mummy of Ramses II (1279 - 1213 BC)
ancient shaman buried with marijuana

It is thought that the Greeks and the Ancient Egyptians used opium poppies. A terracotta statue discovered in Knossos, Crete depicts a smiling female figure with closed eyes wearing a crown containing three poppies. It is suspected that this was a representation of a goddess in an opium-induced trance. The Ebers papyrus, written ca 1500BC, also mentions the use of poppy seeds to treat head pains and also its use as a sedative.

Cannabis was described in these texts as a plant that "if taken over a long term, it makes one communicate with spirits and lightens one's body." However it was also later described as a "liberator of sin". Cannabis is also mentioned in the Atharva Veda, which may date back as early as 2000BC and also in Assyrian cuneiform tablets ancient cannabis historywhich date from about 650BC.

 Cannabis has been discovered in the abdominal cavity of the skeleton from a young girl aged about fourteen who died during childbirth in the fourth century BC in Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem.  It is believed the girl died because her pelvis was too small to permit a normal delivery. This find has led to suggestions that the plant was used to alleviate pain and increase the force of uterine contractions.

 Archaeologists have also discovered various objects in the Scythian Mountains that were used for rituals associated with cannabis use. Pots and charcoal containing the remains of cannabis leaves and fruits have been dated to 500 - 300BC and Herodotus also recorded the use of cannabis by the Scythians and the inhabitants of islands in the Araxes river.