The Secret of the Pharaohs: Cannabis in Ancient Egypt

Most of us know that marijuana has been around for centuries. If you have been a lifelong fan of the plant, you are probably aware that it has been used since the ancient times. In fact, there is plenty of evidence showing that cannabis was used as a natural product during the time of the ancient Egyptians. According to Egyptologists, the versatile plant was used for religious purposes, but there were also Egyptians who utiliced it for their everyday life, including the manufacturing of fabrics. During that time, cannabis was also used to treat a wide variety of illnesses.

How the Ancient Egyptians Took Advantage of Cannabis in Their Industry

There are different types of the cannabis plant. One type is known as hemp, which is actually a form of industrial cannabis. In ancient Egypt – and still up to this day in many parts of the world – the fiber from this type of cannabis was used to create fabrics, ropes, paper, and fiberboards. The hemp fibers were very popular in Egypt at that time because they are strong and durable, especially when compared to cotton and linen.

The versatility of the cannabis plant was well-known in ancient Egypt, which was why they made good use of it. There is clear evidence that as early as three hundred years before Jesus was born, cannabis hemp was utiliced to make textiles in addition to fine linen and sails. Reference to cannabis hemp was found in the writings on the pyramids. Plus, there was hemp material discovered in the tomb of Pharaoh Akhenaten who was the pharaoh around 1353 BC.

Medicinal Uses of Marijuana in Ancient Egypt

Even before modern medicine discovered the fantastic effects of marijuana to our body, it had been a part of the lives of many ancient Egyptians. In fact, it was documented that around 2000 BC, the plant was used for treating different eye problems, including cataracts and sore eyes. Cannabis was also popular at that time for women as they used the plant to make them feel better as it effectively relieved their bad tempers and sadness.

Aside from the mentioned medicinal uses, the ancient Egyptians also learned about the positive effects of the plant on other conditions, which was why they used it for:

– Treating inflammation

– Treating hemorrohoids in the form of suppositories

– Relieving excessive bleeding for women in their menstrual cycle

– Treating glaucoma

There were actually written prescriptions for the plant discovered all around Egypt. While it is true that ancient China was the first to unearth cannabis, the ancient Egyptians were the first who found out that the plant has miraculous effects on cancer patients. This is why they used cannabis to treat people who have cancer at that time.

Evidence also showed that ancient Egyptians would regularly consume cannabis due to the presence of the plant found in the mummified remains. One of the remains with cannabis was that of Pharaoh Ramses the Great who served as the pharaoh all over Egypt in 1213. Even Egyptian deities Seshat and Bastet were linked to the plant, which shows that the ancient Egyptians greatly appreciated cannabis.