Man’s love for maal is eternal, at least stoners feel so! But, when, where and why man discovered weed has been more a matter of speculation than ‘murgi pehle aayi ya anda’.
But, recently, a study titled ‘The Origin Of Cannabis Smoking’ published in Science Advances mentions facts that hint at the discovery of recreational use of cannabis dated back to 500 BC!
Researchers have found strains of cannabis burned by mourners for its intoxicating fumes in mortuary rituals 2500 years back in the Pamir mountains in China. According to the study, the residues at Jirzankal Cemetery had chemical signatures that indicated high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive or mood-altering compound in marijuana.
They, however, unlike you did not roll a joint back then. The researchers have found braziers in which the ancient people put cannabis leaves and hot stones and inhaled the resulting smoke. We wonder what these guys were up to!
Stems and seeds of marijuana were earlier found near many burial sites of Eurasia making its connection with the burial rituals quite evident. But the specimens found in Pamir mountains were much stronger and prove that cannabis was globally in major use! Maybe the first globalization that ever happened off-records was that of Cannabis!
Mark Merlin, a professor of botany at the University of Hawaii, said, “The fact that psychoactive ancient residue has been documented in laboratory testing is the key new finding,” reports NYT.
He further hypothesized that ‘it was used to facilitate the body communicating with the afterlife, the spirit world.’ Or maybe because you gotta be in ‘high spirits’ to enjoy the life after death. (Eyeroll)
Our hypothesis: These guys must be getting high on weed to cope up with the loss of a loved one and then try talking to their spirits on the mountains.
(Meanwhile, stoners are subconsciously thinking of a Chinese jugad to arrange Pamir ka maal now.)