Ancient Origins of Cannabis

Since before the beginning of history,
humans have revered and held as sacred:
—the plant Cannabis.

For Thousands of years, since the beginning of our species’ coming to consciousness, the beloved cannabis plant has been an integral part in the expansion of consciousness and inspiration of spirit. In our time cannabis is maligned and denigrated, declared illegal and heaped with shame and guilt.

The history of this plant and its revered place in spiritual discovery and exploration invoke an honored place for this divine representation of connection to “source.” We call her “Mary” instead of the mundane denigrated names given her like: “weed,” “pot,” or “grass.” To personify her with the name of the feminine divine is appropriate and accurately represents her characteristics and qualities.


"By the 27th Century B.C.E., the Chinese cultivated "Ma"
(cannabis hemp) for fiber, medicine and herbal use.
Their pictogram for true or "great" hemp is a large "man,"
indicating the strong relationship between man and hemp."
(Shen Nung Pharmacopoeia; Ponts'ao Ching; Han Dynasty classics; et al.)

"The weaving of hemp fiber as an industry began
10,000 years ago, at approximately the same time
as pottery-making and prior to metal working"
(Columbia History of the World, Harper & Row, New York, 1981)

Hemp cloth predates silk use for clothing. When silk began to be used it quickly became the preference of the rich while hemp cloth continued to be used by the common man. Early use of cannabis-hemp included: cloth, paper, laquer (cloth used to strain liquid through), grain crop (use of which died out in 6th century A.D. in favor of better cereals), oil, medicine, spiritual use by Shamans.