New research suggests hunter-gatherers used a form of medical marijuana

Marijuana Leaf
(Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

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.

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Ryu Spaeth

Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.