Love it or loathe it, marijuana has been woven into human culture for millennia. In its roughly five‑thousand‑year saga, the plant has turned up in some truly odd corners of history. Here are 10 bizarre times marijuana showed up in history.
10 Bob Marley’s Funeral
10 Bizarre Times: Bob Marley’s Funeral
When the legendary Jamaican singer was laid to rest in Kingston in May 1981, three items were placed beside his beloved red guitar: a well‑worn Bible, a sprig of the herb Jamaicans call “ganja,” and the instrument itself. The story goes that his wife, Rita, slipped the marijuana into the coffin at the last minute, and no one had the heart to remove it.
Marley’s lifelong devotion to the plant is legendary—he once declared, “Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.” After his passing, his legacy lived on through the controversial but wildly successful cannabis brand “Marley Natural,” which carries his name and his mission to legalize the plant worldwide.
9 The United States Military During the Cold War
Between 1950 and 1975, the U.S. military ran a covert program that exposed soldiers to an array of chemicals to gauge their effects. Think “Captain America” gone rogue, but far less glamorous. The only reason we know about the Edgewood‑Aberdeen Experiments today is the declassified paperwork released by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
One of the most potent compounds tested was dimethylheptylpyran (DMHP), a synthetic THC analogue invented in 1949. Declared illegal in 1982 under United Nations law for its striking similarity to cannabis, DMHP was classified as a Schedule 1 drug—the most restrictive tier in the United States. A single milligram could keep a soldier high for up to three days, even with their typically fast metabolisms.
8 Bhutanese Pig Slop in the 90s
Until 1999 Bhutan was the world’s last nation without television. By the mid‑2000s only about 30 % of households owned a set, yet the fledgling medium sparked a dramatic shift in the country’s drug culture—previously almost non‑existent.
Marijuana thrives in Bhutan’s climate, sprouting on virtually any plot of land. Before television, the plant was relegated to pig feed, a humble ingredient in livestock diets. Once TV arrived, the visual exposure inspired locals to harvest the weed for personal use, turning a forgotten agricultural by‑product into a booming underground market that still challenges police today.
7 The Chernobyl Disaster
Phytoremediation—the practice of using plants to extract contaminants—has become a key tool for cleaning polluted sites. By planting species in a grid, scientists can coax roots to absorb toxins and transform them into harmless biomass.
After the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe, radiation seeped into the surrounding countryside, contaminating the soil for miles. Conventional plants proved too weak to handle the sheer scale, so Ukraine’s Institute of Bast Crops turned to cannabis, a hardy species known for thriving in harsh conditions.
A Colorado State University study highlighted why marijuana was a logical choice: a short growing season, an uncanny ability to soak up chemicals, and deep, eight‑foot roots that reach far into tainted earth, making it an ideal bio‑filter for the disaster zone.
6 Shakespeare’s Pipe
Literary scholars have long noted drug‑related hints in Shakespeare’s verses—Sonnet 76, for instance, mentions a “noted weed” and a “compound strange.” Yet concrete proof of the Bard’s personal use remained elusive—until now.
A South African research team examined 24 fragments recovered from a pipe believed to belong to Shakespeare. Using gas chromatography, they detected cannabis residues on eight of the pieces, with the majority traced back to the playwright’s own garden.
The investigators predict that future excavations will reveal even more evidence that smoking a variety of plants was commonplace among men of Shakespeare’s stature. For now, his pipe remains the only artifact directly linking the genius to cannabis.
5 The Hollywood Sign—Twice!
Earlier this year, 30‑year‑old Zachary Fernandez made headlines by draping curtains over the iconic Hollywood letters to spell “Hollyweed,” claiming he wanted to “bring positivity into the world.” He was promptly arrested on misdemeanor and vandalism charges.
What many don’t know is that Fernandez was paying tribute, not pulling a prank. In 1976, prankster Danny Finegood altered the sign in the same way to celebrate California’s newly permissive marijuana statutes.
California’s relationship with cannabis has been a roller‑coaster: the state first outlawed the plant, citing unfounded claims that Hispanic immigrants were committing crimes under its influence. Yet it became the nation’s pioneer for medical marijuana legalization in 1996, and today the Golden State remains a bastion of liberal cannabis policy.
4 India’s Holi Festival
Holi, India’s vibrant spring celebration, is famed for its riot of colored powders that symbolize fertility and new beginnings. While the festival boasts countless rituals, one lesser‑known tradition is the consumption of “bhang.”
Bhang is a concoction made by grinding cannabis buds and mixing them into the festive drink Thandai, an alcohol‑free alternative that heightens participants’ enthusiasm. Even though cannabis remains technically illegal across India, the bhang tradition persists, tying the plant to centuries‑old cultural celebrations.
3 Ancient Chinese Fabric
Marijuana’s story begins in China, where it was first cultivated around 5,000 BC. By 2,000 BC, hemp had become the primary material for textiles, fueling the Silk Road’s trade routes for millennia.
Modern restrictions on hemp exports forced Chinese scientists to modernize their ancient craft. The result: seven new hemp‑fabric varieties—Yunma 1 through Yunma 7—each meeting today’s strict cannabis‑content standards while preserving the durability and feel of traditional hemp cloth. These fabrics now circulate legally worldwide.
2 A Rastafari Temple in Italy
Italy bans large‑scale marijuana possession, but an exception exists for members of the Rastafari faith, a Jamaican‑originated movement rooted in black liberation and the teachings of Marcus Garvey.
When a Rastafarian jazz musician was caught with enough weed to roll 70 cigarettes, authorities sentenced him to 16 months in prison. The community rallied, arguing that the plant is a sacred sacrament for Rastafarians.
In July 2008, Italy’s Court of Cassation revisited the case and ruled that Rastafarians are exempt from the nation’s anti‑marijuana statutes, effectively allowing them to practice their faith without legal repercussions.
1 The First Internet Transaction
In 1971, the very first item ever sold online was marijuana. Two college students—one at MIT and the other at Stanford—exchanged an undisclosed quantity of the plant via ARPANET, the precursor to today’s World Wide Web.
While ARPANET wasn’t the modern Internet we know, its architecture closely resembled today’s network, and its creator Leonard Kleinrock is credited with laying the groundwork for the global web. Consequently, this historic deal is widely regarded as the Internet’s inaugural transaction.
Sydney Sauer, a part‑time content writer and full‑time student, documented the episode, reminding us that even the earliest digital marketplaces had a “high” spirit.