Psychoactive Plants: History and Uses

Psychoactive Plants: History and Uses

Psychoactive plants like marijuana, opium poppy, and coca bush, have been readily available for many years. All of these plants have an extensive history of both recreational and medicinal use with every known major civilization. These plants were also a crucial part in many magical and healing rituals regularly performed by tribal communities. All of these plants have medicinal purposes, which was once the main attraction of these plants. In modern day, new drugs have been developed and as a result, the main focus of harvesting these plants has changed. Opium poppy, marijuana, and coca bush are all now mainly cultivated for recreational use of narcotics.
The Chinese were the first to grow marijuana, Cannabis sativa. They grew it as a source of food and oil. They recognized the psychoactive properties if the plants, but the ancient Indians were the ones who took advantage of these properties. The resins secreted from the upper leaves and inflorescences of the female plants are the most psychoactive, as discovered by the Indians. Also, the Indians developed methods, still used today, of growing the most effective recreational use plants. However, marijuana is not only for recreational use; marijuana is prescribed to patients with diseases like cancer and glaucoma. (Simpson)
Opium is a derivative of the poppy plant. Just like marijuana, there are medical uses and recreational uses for opium. The Sumerians were the first people to use opium as indicated by the writings on their clay tablets. The Chinese were introduced to opium in the 7th century and initially used it medicinally; but when tobacco was introduced, opium became a recreational substance.   The first derivative of opium found was morphine. It was highly addictive but because of its pain-killing properties, it wasn’t taken off the market. (McMahon)
The existence of the coca plant in civilization dates back 3500 years to the Andes Mountains. Cocaine is made from the leaves. As is with all of...