Historical use

A 3,000-Year History
Many people are surprised to learn that only during the past 76 years has cannabis not been a medicine in the United States. Humans have used cannabis to ease pain and suffering for more than 3,000 years. By the 19th century, cannabis showed up in many “tonics” and was considered to be something of a “cure-all” drug. Unfortunately, the potency of medicinal preparations was variable, and individual responses seemed unpredictable (or even erratic at times).2 While people understood that cannabis had healing properties, they didn’t understand how it worked.