This ancient batch of marijuana was reported to have a fairly high content of THC, the main ingredient in cannabis.
(OTTAWA ) - Opponents of marijuana have called foul over the belief that the herb has actually been used for thousands of years; and now their arguments will fall silent as a researcher announces locating a stash of marijuana in a Chinese tomb that is scientifically dated at 2,700 years old.
American neurologist Dr. Ethan B. Russo says the 789 grams of dried cannabis was found in a tomb in China's remote Xinjiang province, home to the Uyghur people who are Chinese Muslims.
The region was in the news frequently in the months proceeding the Olympic Games over clashes between Uyghur people and the Chinese government.
Russo says the cannabis was clearly "cultivated for psychoactive purposes."
The herb has endless uses, but in this case it was clearly not prepared to be used as clothing or as food.
That clarification came from a research paper in the Journal of Experimental Botany.
Interestingly, this Chinese tomb revealed the remains of a man who had light colored hair and blue eyes.
He was a Caucasian man and researchers believe he was probably a shaman of the Gushi culture, which hails from Turpan in northwestern China.
The marijuana is reportedly in very good condition and that is primarily attributed to extremely dry conditions.
The team of scientists say the alkaline soil acted as a preservative, and the herb was still green, though it retained none of its typical odor.
"To our knowledge, these investigations provide the oldest documentation of cannabis as a pharmacologically active agent," Russo told The Toronto Sun.
This ancient batch of marijuana was reported to have a fairly high content of THC, the main ingredient in cannabis.
They said however that the sample was too old to determine a precise percentage.
This is not the first time historic marijuana has been discovered; other locations in the world include Egypt and other sites, but the pot stashed in this Chinese tomb is the oldest so far that could be thoroughly tested for its properties.
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Ancient Marijuana Stash Discovered in Chinese TombSalem-News.com