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For the First Time Ever, Cannabis was Discovered in the Bones of 17th Century Italian People
A middle-aged woman and a teen boy both had evidence of cannabis in their bones
Cannabis, both medicinal and recreational, is becoming increasingly accepted in modern society. In response to popular demand, a growing number of States are legalizing the drug. As of January 2024, medical marijuana is legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.), and recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states and D.C.
But we Humans have dabbled with cannabis for at least 12,000 years. Researchers have identified evidence of cannabis crops and remnants of cannabis seeds and mentions of it in ancient documents. But now, for the first time, we have direct proof that ancient humans consumed cannabis because scientists discovered it in the bones of 17th-century remains.
The Study
Gaia Giordano, a biologist and doctoral student at the University of Milan’s Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology and Laboratory of Toxicological Investigation, along with her colleagues, collected femoral (thigh) bone samples from nine human remains in a crypt located beneath a church next to the distinguished Ca’ Granda Hospital in Milan, Italy.
