Thought you all might enjoy this article. Smoking this herb will take you back 27 centuries! :D

OTTAWA – Researchers say they have located the world's oldest stash of marijuana, in a tomb in a remote part of China.

The cache of cannabis is about 2,700 years old and was clearly ``cultivated for psychoactive purposes," rather than as fibre for clothing or as food, says a research paper in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

The 789 grams of dried cannabis was buried alongside a light-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian man, likely a shaman of the Gushi culture, near Turpan in northwestern China.

The extremely dry conditions and alkaline soil acted as preservatives, allowing a team of scientists to carefully analyze the stash, which still looked green though it had lost its distinctive odour.

"To our knowledge, these investigations provide the oldest documentation of cannabis as a pharmacologically active agent," says the newly published paper, whose lead author was American neurologist Dr. Ethan B. Russo.

Remnants of cannabis have been found in ancient Egypt and other sites, and the substance has been referred to by authors such as the Greek historian Herodotus. But the tomb stash is the oldest so far that could be thoroughly tested for its properties.

The 18 researchers, most of them based in China, subjected the cannabis to a battery of tests, including carbon dating and genetic analysis. Scientists also tried to germinate 100 of the seeds found in the cache, without success.

The marijuana was found to have a relatively high content of THC, the main active ingredient in cannabis, but the sample was too old to determine a precise percentage.

Researchers also could not determine whether the cannabis was smoked or ingested, as there were no pipes or other clues in the tomb of the shaman, who was about 45 years old.

The large cache was contained in a leather basket and in a wooden bowl, and was likely meant to be used by the shaman in the afterlife.

"This materially is unequivocally cannabis, and no material has previously had this degree of analysis possible," Russo said in an interview from Missoula, Mont.

"It was common practice in burials to provide materials needed for the afterlife. No hemp or seeds were provided for fabric or food. Rather, cannabis as medicine or for visionary purposes was supplied."

The tomb also contained bridles, archery equipment and a harp, confirming the man's high social standing.

Russo is a full-time consultant with GW Pharmaceuticals, which makes Sativex, a cannabis-based medicine approved in Canada for pain linked to multiple sclerosis and cancer.

The company operates a cannabis-testing laboratory at a secret location in southern England to monitor crop quality for producing Sativex, and allowed Russo use of the facility for tests on 11 grams of the tomb cannabis.

Researchers needed about 10 months to cut red tape barring the transfer of the cannabis to England from China, Russo said.

The inter-disciplinary study was published this week by the British-based botany journal, which uses independent reviewers to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of all submitted papers.

The substance has been found in two of the 500 Gushi tombs excavated so far in northwestern China, indicating that cannabis was either restricted for use by a few individuals or was administered as a medicine to others through shamans, Russo said.

"It certainly does indicate that cannabis has been used by man for a variety of purposes for thousands of years."

Russo, who had a neurology practice for 20 years, has previously published studies examining the history of cannabis.

"I hope we can avoid some of the political liabilities of the issue," he said, referring to his latest paper.

The region of China where the tomb is located, Xinjiang, is considered an original source of many cannabis strains worldwide.

Source. (http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=105224)

i want to smoke some of that shit.

Neat.

2,700 years old and has a relatively high THC concentration

The 789 grams of dried cannabis was buried alongside a light-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian man, likely a shaman of the Gushi culture, near Turpan in northwestern China.


Did you know 789 - 123 = 666? I wonder how dry it is.

I'm trying to find more info about this culture...

0 + 0 = 2 and I'm done.

Im doubting the reality of this post, i want a link, i dont believe this at all.

http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/544684

Those scientists definitely tried smoking some of that shit.

What would we call that shit if they managed to germinate a seed?

Edit: "Ancient Chinese secret", so when people smoke it they can go "Ancient Chinese secret, huh?"

High THC content, eh?
I say we try to clone this before the wooly mammoth.

That's fuckin awesome. I knew there must have been stoner's back in the day. Good thing I'm studying archeaology.

Oh hells yeah! You can't smoke no woolly mammoth!

I definitely would not smoke that

ya there was actually 800 grams..

Sounds like Chinaweed to me...

Back in the day the rich white man was the one selling the weed to the people...

- Tom

And my rich white friends sell me weed today... Wtf is your point? Only poor and dirty niggers sell weed?

I'll say it again...



"The 18 researchers, most of them based in China, subjected the cannabis to a battery of tests"

Including having 18 of them sit in circle and passing a joint around?

That was my thought exactly.

The part that gets me is this:

The marijuana was found to have a relatively high content of THC, the main active ingredient in cannabis, but the sample was too old to determine a precise percentage.

Umm, if they can't scientifically determine a precise percentage, but know it's pretty potent ... I'm assuming they fired up a few bowls.

"It was common practice in burials to provide materials needed for the afterlife."

I love it.

I want to be buried in herb :D

I love it.

I want to be buried in herb :D

Damn right, a fire ass strain of ganja for me with a few bottles of Hennessey XO would set me straight for the afterlife.

If I remember correctly Bob Marley was buried with a bud of marijuana, a gold ring given to him by an Ethiopian individual, a soccer ball, his Gibson Les Paul and a Bible.

Some white guy had 789 grams of fire bud on him in china 2,700 years ago. That sounds like some European entrepreneurship.

Thats fucking awesome.

The substance has been found in two of the 500 Gushi tombs excavated so far in northwestern China, indicating that cannabis was either restricted for use by a few individuals or was administered as a medicine to others through shamans, Russo said.

Ancient Dealers!

The region of China where the tomb is located, Xinjiang, is considered an original source of many cannabis strains worldwide.

I learned something today

I learned something today
I know right. I'm quite bummed that the seeds they attempted to germinate didn't sprout, maybe someday the strain would've made it to market.

They could've called it Zhou Fire.

^ Zhou being the ruling dynasty at the time.

too bad asia has the worst punishment for tree.

Damn, you know they had a good day. That's probably some fire right there.

Now we just need some Chinese guy in a tomb with 500 pounds of opium.

man that 2,700 year old stash would sold for so fucking much on ebay if pot were decriminalized.

Now we just need some Chinese guy in a tomb with 500 pounds of opium.

i wanna see a 2,000 year old meth lab

i want to see a 2,000 crackhouse

That's awesome.

"The 789 grams of dried cannabis was buried alongside a light-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian man, likely a shaman of the Gushi culture, near Turpan in northwestern China."

Since when were there white people in china 2700 fucking years ago???

And my rich white friends sell me weed today... Wtf is your point? Only poor and dirty niggers sell weed?

Cocaine's where it's at now. :)

http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf095/sf095a01.htm

I think they may have known since 1994 or before 94.

http://www.asianpacificpost.com/portal2/402881910674ebab010674f568551b9f.do.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarim_mummies#cite_note-8

http://www.springerlink.com/content/m5610x83965r275n/

ahum hm I gotta take some of this back to the lab for rigorous testing! MMM RIGOROUS TESTING!

There was actually a really good National Geographic program concerning this subject some time ago. If I hear of any reruns I'll post it here.

And my rich white friends sell me weed today... Wtf is your point? Only poor and dirty niggers sell weed?

Just a joke, dude...

- Tom

There was actually a really good National Geographic program concerning this subject some time ago. If I hear of any reruns I'll post it here.

It's supposed to be on December 4th