Direct evidence for psychoactive cannabis use 2800 years ago.

Ancient human hair from a monumental tomb in Siberia contains offerings of cannabis plant parts and chemical compounds, providing the earliest direct evidence of cannabis use at least 2800 years ago.

• Why it matters: Direct prehistoric proof of cannabis consumption is rare, limiting how confidently debates about ancient use and its relevance to today’s medicine, public health, law, and industry can be anchored.
• What they did: The team analyzed ancient human hair from a Siberian monumental tomb and identified both plant-part offerings and chemical compounds consistent with cannabis use.
• The result: The evidence indicates cannabis was used for psychoactive qualities across Eurasia and suggests some wild populations may have had naturally higher active compound levels.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.