The History of Cannabis Consumption: From Ancient Ritual to Modern Legalisation

Cannabis has one of the longest and most geographically widespread histories of any plant used by humans. From ritual fumigation in Central Asia thousands of years ago to the legal dispensaries and regulated markets of 2026, its story runs through nearly every major civilisation. Here's a properly researched look at how we got from there to here. For a broader primer on what cannabis is and how it affects the body today, see our Cannabis 101 guide.

Prehistoric and Ancient Origins

Cannabis is native to Central Asia, and archaeological evidence suggests humans were interacting with the plant as far back as the Neolithic period. The clearest early evidence of cannabis cultivation comes from China, where hemp was used for rope, cloth, and food from around 2700 BCE, with medicinal applications recorded in early Chinese pharmacopeia for treating pain and inflammation.

One of the most striking discoveries came in 2019, when researchers analysed wooden burial braziers from a roughly 2,500-year-old ritual site in the Pamir Mountains and found chemical residue consistent with cannabis burned specifically for its psychoactive compounds, some of the earliest direct evidence of cannabis being used to get high rather than purely for fibre or food.

Cannabis in Ancient India and Persia

In ancient India, cannabis was considered one of five sacred plants in Hindu tradition and was closely associated with the god Shiva. It was consumed as bhang, a drink made from cannabis, milk, and spices, used in religious festivals and Ayurvedic medicine to treat pain, anxiety, and digestive complaints. This tradition of drinking rather than smoking cannabis persisted for thousands of years, since smoking as a consumption method didn't reach Eurasia until tobacco arrived from the Americas in the 1500s.

The Scythians and the Spread Across Eurasia

The nomadic Scythians, active from roughly 900 to 200 BCE across Central Asia and Southern Siberia, are among the best-documented ancient cannabis users. The Greek historian Herodotus described them building small tents, throwing cannabis seeds and buds onto heated stones inside, and inhaling the resulting vapour as part of funerary rites. Archaeologists have since excavated Scythian graves containing burnt cannabis remains, tent poles, and small stoves that closely match Herodotus's account.

Indigenous Use in Southern Africa

Cannabis, known locally as dagga, reached southern Africa long before European colonisation, with evidence of use among Khoisan and Bantu communities for medicinal, spiritual, and social purposes. The word 'dagga' itself is believed to derive from Khoikhoi language roots. For centuries it was neither centrally regulated nor systematically prohibited. That changed only in the early 20th century, when South Africa moved toward criminalisation, a shift we cover in more detail in Yesterday's 'Pot-Heads' Are Tomorrow's Community Leaders.

Cannabis Enters Western Medicine

Cannabis was formally introduced to Western medicine in the 1830s and 1840s, largely through the work of Irish physician William O'Shaughnessy, who documented its use as a muscle relaxant and analgesic while working in India and brought that knowledge back to Britain. Around the same period, Parisian intellectuals including Théophile Gautier and Charles Baudelaire formed Le Club des Hashischins to explore cannabis's psychoactive effects. By the mid-to-late 19th century, cannabis tinctures were widely available from pharmacies across Europe and the United States for ailments ranging from migraines to insomnia.

The Prohibition Era

Recreational and even medicinal cannabis use fell sharply out of favour in the early 20th century, driven by shifting drug policy and, in several countries, racially charged moral panic. In the United States, the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 effectively criminalised cannabis nationwide. South Africa followed a similar path with the Weeds Act of 1911 and full prohibition in 1922. For most of the century that followed, cannabis use anywhere in the world carried serious legal risk.

The Path Back to Legalisation

The tide began turning at the start of the 21st century. Uruguay became the first country to fully legalise and regulate recreational cannabis in 2013. Canada followed with nationwide legalisation in 2018. A growing list of individual US states have since legalised recreational use, and Germany partially legalised adult possession and non-commercial cannabis clubs in 2024.

South Africa's own reform followed a similar arc: the Constitutional Court's 2018 Prince ruling decriminalised private adult use, cultivation, and possession, and the 2024 Cannabis for Private Purposes Act built a formal legal framework around that right. For the full detail on what's legal in South Africa today, see our complete 2026 legal guide.

How Consumption Methods Have Changed

Era	Primary Consumption Method
Ancient China & India (2700 BCE onward)	Oral drinks (bhang), medicinal preparations
Scythian era (900–200 BCE)	Vapour inhalation from heated seeds in enclosed tents
19th century Europe & US	Pharmacy tinctures and extracts
Early-to-mid 20th century	Hand-rolled cigarettes (joints), pipes
Modern era	Rolling papers, pipes, bongs, dab rigs, vaporisers, edibles

FAQ

When did humans first start using cannabis?

Archaeological evidence suggests cannabis cultivation dates back to at least 2700 BCE in China, with direct evidence of psychoactive use, from a Pamir Mountains ritual site, dated to around 2,500 years ago.

When did cannabis become illegal?

Most prohibition happened in the early-to-mid 20th century. The United States passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, while South Africa criminalised cannabis in 1922 under the Weeds Act framework.

Which country first legalised recreational cannabis?

Uruguay was the first country to fully legalise and regulate recreational cannabis, in 2013.

How did cannabis first arrive in South Africa?

Cannabis, known locally as dagga, was used by indigenous Khoisan and Bantu communities for medicinal, spiritual, and social purposes for centuries before European colonisation in 1652.

Keep Reading

Curious how this history led to today's rules? Read our complete guide to current cannabis laws in South Africa, or browse our pipes and bongs collections to find your own piece of that long tradition.