Short answers, pulled from the story.
Archaeologists discovered the earliest known evidence of cannabis smoking in the 2,500-year-old tombs of the Jirzankal Cemetery in the Pamir Mountains around 500 BCE. This finding in Western China confirms that ancient Indo-Iranian tribes, including the Scythians, used the plant to induce trance states during funeral ceremonies.
Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the main psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. When raw cannabis is heated, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid decarboxylates into THC, transforming the non-psychoactive plant material into a potent drug.
A 2025 study found that cannabis users face a nearly threefold increase in mortality rates and a tenfold higher risk of dying by suicide. The drug is also associated with a 29% higher risk of heart attack and a 20% higher risk of stroke.
Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational cannabis in December 2013, followed by Canada in 2018. Germany legalized recreational use in April 2024, and Malta became the first European Union member to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes in 2021.
The United States Department of Justice announced in April 2024 its intention to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance. This move was signed into executive order on the 18th of December 2025.
Medical cannabis is used to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, neuropathic pain, and multiple sclerosis. The drug has also been used to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and treat chronic pain and muscle spasms.