The History of Cannabis: From Ancient Medicine to Modern Legalization

## The Short Answer Humans have cultivated cannabis for at least 5,000 years, primarily for fiber, food, ritual, and medicine. The modern arc from ancient herb to regulated retail ran through a 20th-century century of prohibition in most of the world, followed by a 21st-century wave of state-level legalization in the United States and federal-level change in Canada, Germany, and elsewhere. This is the short version for adults 21 and older. ## Ancient Origins Cannabis is believed to have originated in Central Asia, likely the regions now part of Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and northwestern China. Archaeological evidence places its use around 3000 BCE; Chinese texts reference hemp fiber and cannabis seeds as staple crops thousands of years later. Cannabis seeds appear in Neolithic burial sites; hemp textiles predate most other plant fibers in the archaeological record. Medicinal use was documented across ancient civilizations. The Atharva Veda (India, circa 1500 BCE) mentions cannabis among sacred plants. Herodotus (5th century BCE) described Scythian steam-bath rituals using cannabis. Roman and medieval Arabic medical texts cataloged uses. In much of Asia and the Middle East, cannabis was a standard part of the pharmacopeia for millennia. ## The Global Spread Cannabis spread along trade routes. Hemp cultivation reached Europe in prehistoric times and was widespread by the medieval period, valued primarily for its fiber (used in ship rigging, rope, and paper). It arrived in the Americas through two paths: hemp cultivation in colonial Jamestown in 1611, and the medicinal/recreational forms that came later through the African diaspora and 19th-century Mexican migration. In the 19th century, cannabis tinctures became a standard pharmaceutical product in Europe and North America. Queen Victoria's personal physician prescribed cannabis for her menstrual pain. American patent medicines containing cannabis were sold openly through the late 1800s. ## The Prohibition Era The 20th-century prohibition of cannabis unfolded over several decades: - **1906** — The US Pure Food and Drug Act required labeling of cannabis in medicines. - **1937** — The US Marihuana Tax Act effectively prohibited cannabis by taxing its sale. The legislative history is documented and, by modern standards, rooted in racialized enforcement rhetoric rather than public-health evidence. - **1961** — The UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs classified cannabis alongside heroin. - **1970** — The US Controlled Substances Act placed cannabis in Schedule I, reserved for substances deemed to have no accepted medical use. This classification has persisted at the federal level despite ongoing state-level reforms. Cannabis prohibition shaped much of the 20th-century global drug-control regime. It also produced decades of inequitable enforcement, particularly in the United States, where communities of color were arrested and incarcerated at disproportionate rates. ## Medical Cannabis Returns The 1996 California Compassionate Use Act (Prop 215) legalized medical cannabis at the state level, making California the first US state to formally recognize medicinal use since prohibition. Over the next two decades, most states followed with their own medical programs. ## Modern Legalization Colorado and Washington became the first US states to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2012, following voter initiatives. Over the following decade, dozens more states legalized adult-use or medical cannabis. New York's Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) passed in 2021, with regulated retail sales beginning in late 2022. Internationally: Uruguay legalized cannabis in 2013, becoming the first country to do so. Canada followed with federal legalization in 2018. Germany legalized adult-use cannabis with a regulated market starting in 2024. Additional countries are in various stages of reform. Federal US law still classifies cannabis as Schedule I, though the rescheduling proposal and broader reform efforts have been under active discussion. See [federal cannabis laws explained, where rescheduling and reform stand](/blog/federal-cannabis-laws-explained-where-rescheduling-and-reform-stand). ## Where Things Stand for Adults 21+ For a consumer in a state with regulated adult-use retail, the short version is: you are buying a product that has been used by humans for at least 5,000 years, prohibited for about 80 of those, and re-legalized in the past decade or two. The modern supply chain (licensed cultivators, licensed retailers, lab testing, state-level regulation) is an attempt to rebuild the infrastructure that prohibition dismantled. Verify your licensed retailer via the OCM QR code at [cannabis.ny.gov](https://cannabis.ny.gov). ## Where to Go Next Related reading: [is cannabis legal in my state](/blog/is-cannabis-legal-in-my-state-a-state-by-state-guide-to-marijuana-laws), [federal cannabis laws explained](/blog/federal-cannabis-laws-explained-where-rescheduling-and-reform-stand), and [hemp vs marijuana, legal definitions](/blog/hemp-vs-marijuana-legal-definitions-and-why-they-matter). --- *This article is consumer education for adults 21+. Nothing here is medical, legal, or financial advice. Cannabis laws vary by state, always verify your state's current rules and, for health questions, consult a licensed clinician. For regulated New York retail, verify licensing via the OCM QR-code system at [cannabis.ny.gov](https://cannabis.ny.gov).*