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by pochamago 2211 days ago
For some reason I was under the impression that cannabis was a new world plant, but apparently it hails from Asia.
3 comments

Yeah, it grows wild in many Asian countries and in places like Japan, they're mostly unaware the wild variety is the same as the illegal variety.

https://soranews24.com/2014/12/03/in-hokkaido-theres-weed-we...

And there's a reason why there's a strain called Hindu kush(or I guess any variety called kush) it's named for the Hindu kush mountain region. It's been a huge part of Tibetan, Nepalis and Indian culture for thousands of years.

Anyone who's interested in the cultivation of cannabis or the historical production of hashish in thoseareas and the middle east should check out these books

http://www.thegreatbooksofhashish.com/

Especially if they're interested in seeing amazing photos of forests of 12 foot ganja trees in the Himalayan mountains where monks produce hash by walking through the ganja forests and brushing their hands through the trees to collect resin in the way they have for hundreds of years. Or seeing regions of Afghanistan where hash production went on for at least 1000 years before Russia and America's invasions of them essentially destroyed a millenia old trade.

Looking at some of those photos really connects you with the near prehistoric connection people have with cannabis in a way I haven't seen many other things do.

It really is a great theft to humanity what's occurred in recent history with it.

> the wild variety is the same as the illegal variety.

The distinction being, of course: the wild variety becomes the illegal variety as soon as someone has it in their possession or cultivates it.

Hindu Kush! Nice mellow stuff.
A (rather infamous? I recall a ton of controversy about it) wikipedia article for you:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charas

What is controversial about Charas?
Not charas, the wikipedia article about it.

Found it- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/25/russia-bans-wi...

I was too, but then I remembered that the Assassins (Hashshashins) reportedly used hashish in their rituals and were contemporaneous with the crusades.