For thousands of years — traditional medicine has relied on UK cannabis regulations explained cannabis as a fundamental element, addressing numerous health issues. The potential of cannabis to alleviate anxiety (calm the mind), and treat neurological conditions, including seizures and spasms, was acknowledged by traditional medicine systems. Due to its anti-inflammatory characteristics (cannabis became a favored solution for skin ailments), joint discomfort, and inflammatory bowel conditions. To ease labor pains, treat injuries, and resolve gastrointestinal issues, various African cultures utilized cannabis. In the ancient Egyptian context, cannabis was used topically to soothe inflammation and treat eye ailments. Its mind-altering properties led to its integration into spiritual practices, which were thought to facilitate the attainment of elevated states of consciousness.
The use of natural products as medicines must — of course, have presented a tremendous challenge to early humans. Cannabis has played an important role in traditional African healing systems — both as a medicinal plant and as a tool for spiritual practices. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has enabled the study of brain activity and measuring of relaxation responses of individuals engaged in traditional practices of yoga and meditation (which people around the world increasingly use for their mental health), stress management and overall well-being. Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a game-changer, revolutionizing the study and practice of traditional healing systems. Dr Susan Wieland (co-chair of the WHO Traditional Medicine External Advisory Group and Director of Cochrane Complementary Medicine), notes how “evidence from over 20 clinical trials indicates that yoga is effective in improving pain and back-related function in chronic non-specific lower back pain. Today’s vaccine for smallpox draws from the principle used in the ancient practice of variolation (where material from smallpox sores were transferred to healthy people), resulting in milder forms of illness.
Later (the development of synthetic techniques led to a significant reduction in the importance of natural products), and there were concerns that the use of some natural products for medicinal purposes might be completely banned. Subsequently, countless active compounds have been separated from natural products. Traditional medicines (TMs) make use of natural products and are of great importance.
WHO will support countries with technical assistance (standards development), and coordinated implementation and monitoring. The strategy recognizes the importance of protecting traditional knowledge and promoting responsible use of natural resources. The WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019 was developed to address the gap in reliable, credible and official data from Member States in the area of T&CM. Humankind needs to learn more from natural products and traditional medicines. However, it is also requisite that any adverse effects of natural products be properly reduced to meet safety standards. For example — synergistic effects may exist among the compounds that occur in natural products; however, the modes and mechanisms of action are seldom very clear.
Natural Products
Spiritually, marijuana has been used in rituals and ceremonies to enhance meditation, introspection, and connection to the divine. States across the U.S. and countries around the world are adopting more lenient policies — recognizing the therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana and the impracticality and cost of enforcing marijuana prohibition. This led to the global war on drugs, a campaign of drug prohibition, military intervention, and aid to countries involved in drug production and trafficking. The international community gradually embraced marijuana prohibition, with many countries enacting their own laws against cannabis cultivation, sale, and use.
How has cannabis been used in ancient Asian cultures?
The ritual use of bhang is seen as a way to purify the mind — remove negativity, and attain spiritual enlightenment. During Holi (also known as the Festival of Colors), people consume bhang in the form of drinks and sweets. As a result, cannabis is often referred to as “bhang” in India and is consumed during religious festivals to honor Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva discovered the plant’s intoxicating properties and used it to enhance his meditation and spiritual practices. Many modern strains of weed (such as Jamaican Lamb’s Bread), have their origins in the Caribbean.
One of the deadliest diseases known to humans — smallpox remains the only human disease to have been eradicated. In addition to learning from how ancient cultures tapped natural resources for health, we have also looked to traditional community-based health practices for answers to modern diseases. Modern medicine has built on what nature has to offer and has drawn upon traditional systems of knowledge of how these medicinal plants, herbs, roots, and bark were wielded to cure diseases across civilizations. Willow bark as the basis of aspirin is another example of how nature and traditional knowledge have contributed to modern medicine.
In addition to medicinal use, cannabis has also been used by indigenous peoples in Canada and other countries for spiritual and ceremonial purposes. In this article (we will explore the historical and modern uses of cannabis by indigenous peoples), with a particular focus on Canada and its indigenous communities. The study focused on various compounds used in drugs derived from plants in different countries, and it established that TM had indeed played a significant role in developing effective new drugs. Different societies historically developed various useful healing methods to combat a variety of health- and life-threatening diseases.
These ceremonial practices reinforce cultural identity (strengthen community bonds), and maintain traditional knowledge through participatory experiences that engage multiple generations in preserving ancient wisdom. Tibetan Buddhist traditions incorporate cannabis into specific meditation practices and healing rituals, viewing the plant as a tool for achieving heightened awareness and compassion. Rastafarian communities integrate cannabis into religious ceremonies as a sacrament that facilitates divine communion and collective consciousness. Elder knowledge keepers utilize rhythmic chanting (symbolic imagery), and ritual repetition to ensure accurate transmission of preparation methods, dosing protocols, and spiritual practices. Traditional healing practices utilizing cannabis encompassed diverse preparation methods and therapeutic applications tailored to specific conditions and cultural contexts.
The brain regions that coordinate movement include several different sites, among them areas affected by Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Both compounds bind and activate cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells, much as other neurotransmitters bind and activate their own specific receptors. Each receptor recognizes only a few specific molecules, known collectively as ligands.
Spiritual traditions of Native Americans.
These spiritual traditions illustrate how cannabis was perceived by traditional communities as a medium for profound experiences rather than simply for recreational use.
In recent years, cannabinoids such as CBD and Δ9-THC have attracted increased attention in the context of modern pharmacology and popular Western culture, yet little research has been done to explore the historical applications of cannabis in Chinese medicine. The earliest historical references to cannabis in Chinese medicine are found in the Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing) from the first to second century AD. The author Li Shizhen summarized the disparate views advanced by earlier historical authors in the Compendium of Materia Medica , Ben Cao Gang Mu, in 1593 AD, and Li’s descriptions and corrections were influential in shaping the definitions established by contemporary texts such as the Great Encyclopedia of Chinese Medicinals (Zhong Yao Da Ci Dian). Prominent historical bencao authors also discussed the meaning of mafen, including Su Jing (659 AD), Su Song (1062 AD), and Tang Shenwei (1108 AD; Zheng, 2008). These terms — mafen (麻蕡), mahua (麻花), and mabo (麻勃), all refer to the spike-shaped inflorescence of the plant, but various contemporary and historical sources interpret them differently.
Moorehead et al. describe discussions held with a group of traditional healers on the possibilities and challenges of collaboration between Indigenous and conventional biomedical therapeutic approaches . A noted article by David Baines, an Indigenous physician from the Tlingit/Tsimshian tribe in Southeast Alaska, describes one of his patients who had metastatic lung cancer . The “incorporation of this residency curriculum resulted in a means to produce physicians well trained in approaching patient care and population health with knowledge of culturally based health practices in order to facilitate healthy patients and communities” . Considerations for the issue of quality and accuracy in this body of literature will be addressed in the discussion section of this paper. Themes were based and developed by way of traditional knowledge (TK); however, it was noted in the synthesis process that there was often substantial overlap between themes. Ethnobotanical (plant physiology), and reviews of specific Indigenous plants were excluded from this scoping review as they were most often not based on the context of traditional medicine but the function and action of the plant itself.