---
title: The ancient origins of Cannabis and our changing attitudes towards it
description: Cannabis attitudes are undergoing a seismic shift but what do really know about the drug?  Our three-part special podcast series is uncovering the science
image: https://420intel.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/The%20ancient%20origins%20of%20cannabis%20and%20our%20changing%20attitudes%20towards%20it.jpg
---

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# The ancient origins of Cannabis and our changing attitudes towards it

- [Admin](https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin)
- [Medical Cannabis News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/medical-cannabis-news)
- 7 March 2024

Cannabis attitudes are undergoing a seismic shift but what do really know about the drug? 

Our three-part special podcast series is uncovering the science of marijuana.

Cannabis is having a moment. Half of Americans live in a state with legal marijuana and 9 in 10 people nationwide support legalisation in some form. This is a stark difference from mere decades ago, when prohibition was the norm in the entire US. Meanwhile, if you live in Malta, Uruguay, Canada – and maybe soon, Germany – your entire country is one with legal recreational pot. And access to medical marijuana extends to even more countries, including the UK and Australia.

But as medical and recreational use become more popular and increasingly accessible, how exactly did we get to this moment of change? What has research been able to tell us – so far – about how the plant produces its euphoric effects, or what medical purposes it may be able to serve or how it might be harmful? And how could our relationship with this unassuming leaf change in coming decades?

In the first episode of a special 3-part podcast series, Christie Taylor and the rest of the *New Scientist* reporting team start at the beginning: 27.8 million years ago, when hops and hemp diverged in family *Cannabaceae*. A million years ago, when *Cannabis indica* and *Cannabis sativa* diverged into two differently psychoactive strains. And 12,000 years ago, when humans first domesticated cannabis for mundane household use, not yet dreaming of the euphoric experiences to come.

But of course, it all comes back to the high, and we go there too – the evidence, though still sparse, of drug-related use dating back at least to 500 BC. And, a thousand years later, perhaps the first recorded reference to a ritual not unlike hotboxing.

**For more Cannabis News like this, circle back to **[**420intel.com**](https://420intel.com/)**!**

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[Medical Cannabis News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/medical-cannabis-news)

#### [Admin](https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin)

- [Admin](https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin)
- 30 May 2022

#### [Bank supervisors urge Congress to pass SAFE Banking bill for cannabis businesses](https://420intel.com/blog/bank-supervisors-urge-congress-pass-safe-banking-bill-cannabis-businesses)

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) is urging Congress to keep the Secure and Fair...

[Cannabis Business News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/cannabis-business-news) [![Needham Bank Pioneers Cannabis Banking in a Cash-Heavy Industry](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/The%20image%20depicts%20the%20exterior%20of%20Needham%20Bank%20a%20modern%20brick%20building%20with%20large%20glass%20windows%20reflecting%20the%20surrounding%20trees%20and%20sky%20A%20prominent%20sign%20displays%20the%20banks%20name%20in%20bold%20letters%20emphasizing%20its%20role%20as%20a%20pioneer%20in%20cannabis%20banking%20In.jpeg?width=550&height=395&name=The%20image%20depicts%20the%20exterior%20of%20Needham%20Bank%20a%20modern%20brick%20building%20with%20large%20glass%20windows%20reflecting%20the%20surrounding%20trees%20and%20sky%20A%20prominent%20sign%20displays%20the%20banks%20name%20in%20bold%20letters%20emphasizing%20its%20role%20as%20a%20pioneer%20in%20cannabis%20banking%20In.jpeg)](https://420intel.com/blog/needham-bank-pioneers-cannabis-banking-in-a-cash-heavy-industry)

- [![Buzz](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png?width=80&height=80&name=Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png) Buzz](https://420intel.com/blog/author/buzz)
- 29 April 2025

#### [Needham Bank Pioneers Cannabis Banking in a Cash-Heavy Industry](https://420intel.com/blog/needham-bank-pioneers-cannabis-banking-in-a-cash-heavy-industry)

In an industry where cash remains king due to federal prohibition, Needham Bank is a rare financial...

[Cannabis Laws](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/cannabis-laws) [![High Hopes: AG Ford Backs Cannabis Banking!](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/The%20image%20depicts%20a%20modern%20office%20setting%20featuring%20a%20conference%20room%20with%20a%20large%20glass%20table%20surrounded%20by%20sleek%20ergonomic%20chairs%20A%20diverse%20group%20of%20individuals%20including%20men%20and%20women%20of%20varying%20ethnicities%20are%20seated%20around%20the%20table%20engaged%20in%20a.jpeg?width=550&height=395&name=The%20image%20depicts%20a%20modern%20office%20setting%20featuring%20a%20conference%20room%20with%20a%20large%20glass%20table%20surrounded%20by%20sleek%20ergonomic%20chairs%20A%20diverse%20group%20of%20individuals%20including%20men%20and%20women%20of%20varying%20ethnicities%20are%20seated%20around%20the%20table%20engaged%20in%20a.jpeg)](https://420intel.com/blog/high-hopes-ag-ford-backs-cannabis-banking)

- [![Buzz](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png?width=80&height=80&name=Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png) Buzz](https://420intel.com/blog/author/buzz)
- 25 July 2025

#### [High Hopes: AG Ford Backs Cannabis Banking!](https://420intel.com/blog/high-hopes-ag-ford-backs-cannabis-banking)

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford has joined a bipartisan coalition of...

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