The Oldest Dime Bag in the World
Researchers find 2,700-year-old marijuana stash
By SCOTT ROSS
Updated 4:48 PM EST, Tue, Dec 2, 2008
Researchers have found a bag of marijuana weighing nearly four pounds buried in a tomb in a remote part of China.
The grass, all 1.79 kilograms of it, was obviously "cultivated for psychoactive purposes,"according to a paper in the aptly named Journal of Experimental Botany. Marijuana grown for fiber to make clothes and rope is far more common at archaeological sites.
"To our knowledge, these investigations provide the oldest documentation of cannabis as a pharmacologically active agent," Dr. Ethan B. Russo told The Toronto Sun.
Though it had lost most of its odor, it appeared to be in good shape, having maintained most of its color. Scientists attribute this to the dry conditions in the tomb and the alkaline soil, which acted as a preservative.
They also believe the pot was rather strong, but sadly it was too old to be properly tested for its THC content.
The tomb was uncovered in Xinjiang province, home to the Uyghurs, a group of Chinese Muslims.
Strangely, though, the bag was buried with a long-haired, blue-eyed white guy, whom researchers believe was likely a shaman of Gushi culture, hailing from Turpan in northwestern China.
First Published: Dec 1, 2008 1:21 PM EST
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