New research suggests hunter-gatherers used a form of medical marijuana
Have you ever hunted and gathered... on weed?
It turns out that our ancient forebears may have asked each other precisely that question, according to new research by anthropologists at Washington State University. A study of the Aka pygmies of the Congo basin revealed that those who smoked marijuana were less likely to suffer from intestinal worms, indicating they were ingesting the drug as a kind of unconscious medical remedy.
"In the same way we have a taste for salt, we might have a taste for psychoactive plant toxins, because these things kill parasites," says WSU professor Ed Hagen.
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Read more about the study here.
