Cannabis Around the World: A Cultural Perspective

The cannabis plant was deeply rooted within the culture of most societies in the world. For centuries, people used it for medicinal, spiritual, and social purposes. From ancient Asian civilizations to current moves toward legalization in the West, cannabis has never stopped being a powerful force shaping the lives and traditions of people worldwide. This blog expands into the fact that other cultures embraced cannabis as part of their tradition and the influence of modern trends in its usage.

Ancient Traditions and Rituals

Cannabis has been grown for millennia, and most of its ancient application is in Asia. In China, the plant was used for medical purposes. Ancient texts show that people would consume the seeds of cannabis as a food source, and fibers from this plant were used to create clothing, paper, or ropes. Chinese healers also used cannabis for diseases like gout, malaria, or rheumatism. This was not a mere plant to them; it was part of everyday life.

It is said to have acquired the most spiritual elements in India. More curiously, it got associated with Shiva, who is known as the "Lord of Bhang." The word bhang refers to a traditional cannabis-based drink people like to drink on festivals like Holi. Bhang is prepared by grinding the leaves of cannabis and mixing them with milk, yogurt, or other ingredients. Even today, bhang is partaken in some places of India as it is considered as a sacred, celebratory drink that brings devotees closer to the divine.

There is also a historical link of Egypt to cannabis. In archaeological sites, pollen of cannabis was found on the mummy of Pharaoh Ramesses II, which dated back to more than 3,000 years. It is said that ancient Egyptians might have used this drug for medicinal purposes in various conditions like inflammation and glaucoma.

In Africa, especially in parts of North Africa, cannabis was cultivated and smoked in religious and healing ceremonies. Morocco is the country famous for hashish, a concentrated form of cannabis. Hashish became a staple culture item within the region, being used socially and ritually. Hashish cultivation is an old tradition from centuries in the Rif Mountains located in northern Morocco.

Cannabis in Middle Eastern Culture

For centuries, the Middle East has been enjoying a close relationship between religious and cultural practices with cannabis. For instance, within some of the Islamic sects, kif or hashish was used by the Sufi mystics to enhance their religious experiences. At the same time, cannabis use in that region often dances around its presence in gray areas of religion due to legal provisions that regulate religious laws. Still, several Middle Eastern societies have continued secretly cultivating and consuming the drug. Hashish manufacturing in Lebanon and Egypt simply created a juicy underground market that has been sustained till date.

Modern History

The Middle East witnessed relatively controlled use of cannabis. However, there is still the small example of Lebanon, which allows the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes. This is the way towards the acceptance of the use of cannabis in general, especially in its therapeutic usage.

Western Trends and Legalization

During the last few decades, there has been a revolutionary change in relation between Western societies and cannabis. It started with the legalization of medicinal cannabis in California in 1996 in the United States and subsequently followed a course where over half the U.S. states legalized medicinal or recreational cannabis. Similarly, in Canada, acceptance of cannabis from the Western point of view is also evident in the legalization of recreational use throughout the country in 2018.

The business of cannabis has become very innovative in the West. New forms of consumption, including vaporizers, concentrates, and edibles, are allowing people to use cannabis in ways never imagined before. This change is also being pushed by the growth in scientific research supporting the medicinal benefits of the plant-from chronic pain management to ridding one of anxiety and epilepsy.

Legal change is underway in Europe, but not anywhere as fast as it has been going in North America. Perhaps the most celebrated country with a liberal policy on cannabis today is the Netherlands, famous for its coffee shops in Amsterdam, which attract tourists by the millions. Decriminalization and medical cannabis programs are gaining ground in Germany, Portugal, and Spain, which leaves a mixed landscape of cannabis use across the continent.

Global Cannabis Culture Today

Nowadays, cannabis is not just a plant; it is something like a global subculture uniting different representatives of the planet's cultures. What once was a sacrament for Jamaican Rastafarians proved to be an activity practiced by California millennials who smoke it to relax and have a good time.

International festivals, cannabis expos, and online communities are helping spread cannabis culture in every nook and corner. Cannafest to HempCon, Europe and the United States, hosts bring together enthusiasts, business people, and activists to celebrate and serve the cannabis cause. Social media further extends this global sharing of cannabis knowledge and practices.

Conclusion: Live the Global Cannabis Experience

As is the history of cannabis so variegated, so diversified, are the cultures embracing it. From ancient Asia's medicinal practices to modern legalization movements in the West, cannabis has traveled around the world, taking on new meanings as it has touched almost every society it has come upon.

In many ways, the more nations toying with the thrill of cannabis, the more it becomes influential all around the world. Be it sipping on a traditional bhang drink in India or your first hashish in Morocco, and perhaps sampling the latest strain coming to the market in California, cannabis is something truly culturally connected across continents and generations.

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