The History of Weed: A look at the historical use of marijuana around the world

Description

Discover the epic, globe-spanning saga of humanity’s most controversial plant.

From Stone-Age campfires to Silicon Valley boardrooms, cannabis has shaped economies, faiths, wars, and revolutions. The History of Weed takes you on an eye-opening journey through 12,000 years of innovation, intrigue, and cultural change—revealing how one resilient herb has endured medicine men, monarchs, missionaries, and modern regulators to re-emerge as a multibillion-dollar force today.

Inside you’ll explore

• Prehistoric beginnings – freshly unearthed evidence of hemp fiber, seed, and smoke in caves across Asia and Europe.

• Ancient empires & sacred rites – from Chinese pharmacopeias and Indian bhang rituals to Scythian “smoke tents” on the Eurasian Steppe.

• Medieval trade routes – hashish in the Islamic Golden Age, monastic hemp fields, and the spice caravans that carried cannabis lore westward.

• Colonial conquests – how Spanish galleons, British textile mills, and American plantations spread (and sometimes strangled) the plant’s prospects.

• Prohibition & propaganda – the 20th-century moral panic that criminalized millions and ignited a counterculture.

• The science renaissance – groundbreaking discoveries of THC, CBD, and the endocannabinoid system that are rewriting medical textbooks.

• Legalization & social justice – the modern struggle to balance economic opportunity with equity for communities hit hardest by the drug war.

Perfect for

• History buffs hungry for untold stories that connect Mesopotamia to modern medicine.

• Policy makers, entrepreneurs, and activists seeking context for today’s legalization debates.

• Anyone who’s ever wondered why a single plant could inspire reverence, rebellion, and relentless regulation.

Packed with vivid anecdotes, rare archival illustrations, and up-to-the-minute research, The History of Weed is your definitive field guide to the past, present, and future of cannabis.

Turn the page and trace the green thread that stitches together our shared human story—then decide for yourself what the next chapter should be.