An annual which grows to 5m (16 ft.) in height, on erect stems with narrow, toothed leaves and panicles of inconspicuous green flowers.
History and traditions
Cannabis has a long history as a medicinal plant, being mentioned in ancient Chinese and Indian texts dating from the 10th century sc. Herodotus reports that the Scythians (nomadic people of Iranian origin, living between the 7th and 2nd centuries BC) “crept into their huts and threw the seeds onto hot stones”. Pliny thought very highly of this plant’s medicinal values. Hildegard of Bingen, AbD 1150, refers to it as a relief for headaches and it is mentioned in all the great Renaissance herbals though its narcotic effects were well understood and it was known as “The Leaf of Delusion”. As hemp, it has been grown for its fiber since ancient times, and it provided rope for the hangman in 16th-century Britain (old names are “gallowglass” and “neckeweed”). The word “assassin” comes from the Arabic for hashish-taker.
Uses
Medicinal
Cannabis is widely used as an illegal narcotic drug. It can be addictive, and is weakening and harmful in excess, but there is some evidence of its therapeutic value for diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and glaucoma.
General
Rope is made from the fiber. Seeds are the source of hempseed oil used in varnishes, foods and cosmetics. Hemp per se does not contain appreciable amounts of THC and is a legal crop in some places as a weed it grows with abandon and great success in lowa.
