Love it or hate it, marijuana has been a large part of society since ancient times. And in its five-thousand-year history, the plant has been a part of some strange events, inventions, and discoveries. Take a look at ten of the most bizarre times when marijuana showed up in history.

10Bob Marley’s Funeral

In May of 1981, this famous Jamaican singer was buried in Kingston with three things: his prized red guitar, his Bible, and a whole sprig of marijuana,^[1] which Jamaicans call “ganja.” The story goes that this herbal decoration was not originally intended to be part of his burial, but that his wife snuck it into the coffin during the funeral and no one had the heart to take it out.

This tradition of Bob Marley being connected to weed traces back throughout his life and forward to his legacy. In life, Marley was known for his love of the weed, famously saying, “Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.” And even after his death, his support of the plant has continued, with a controversial yet wildly successful new marijuana company called “Marley Natural” taking on his name and his mission of making the plant legal.

9The United States Military during the Cold War

From 1950 to 1975, the US Military took on a top-secret project to expose soldiers to different chemicals and measure the results.^[2] Think Captain America but far less successful. Today, the only reason we know about these Edgewood-Aberdeen Experiments are records provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs; at the time, they were kept in complete secrecy, for obvious reasons.

One of the most potent chemicals tested at the site was dimethylheptylpyran, known as DMHP for short, which was invented in 1949 and tested in the subsequent years. It was eventually declared illegal in 1982 under the international laws of the United Nations due to its striking similarities to marijuana and other cannabis varieties. In fact, the chemical was intended to be a synthetic THC replacement but much stronger—so strong that today it is classified as a “Schedule 1” drug, the most restrictive category in the United States. Just one milligram of the substance can affect soldiers, whose high metabolism usually weakens the effect of most drugs, for up to three days.

8Bhutanese Pig Slop in the 90s

In 1999, Bhutan was the last nation in the world to gain access to television, and even by the mid-2000s, only 30 percent of people had adopted the new TV trend. But oddly enough, this exposure to television still radically changed the country’s drug culture, which was virtually nonexistent before.

Marijuana flourishes in Bhutan’s climate, and you can find it growing naturally on basically any plot of land. But before 1999, the Bhutanese people only used the plant as an ingredient in pig feed and left the vast majority of the supply alone.^[3] After the dawn of the television age, however, people started to take the plant out of their pig feed and save it for themselves, influenced by its uses in the media. Today, marijuana culture has blossomed to an all-time high, and the Bhutanese police are struggling to keep up with all of the illegal marijuana transactions.

7The Chernobyl Disaster

Phytoremediation is the science of using plants to clean up contamination. Certain plants, grown in a grid pattern, can suck the harmful contaminants out of the soil and convert them into their own energy source. Often times, disaster recovery companies use this technique on the outskirts of a disaster zone, where concentration levels are low, and heavy machinery will be too destructive to the ecosystem.

After the Chernobyl incident in 1986, scientists noticed that the radiation from the disaster had spread into the surrounding rural areas and had contaminated the soil. To combat this, they employed the process of phytoremediation.^[4] But since typical plants were not strong enough to clean up the vast amounts of damage, the Ukraine’s Institute of Bast Crops decided to plant cannabis on the site.

A study from Colorado State University explains that marijuana was a logical choice in this situation because of its short growing season, uncanny ability to absorb chemicals, and eight-foot-long roots that reach deep into contaminated soil.

6Shakespeare’s Pipe

Many Shakespeare scholars see blatant drug references in some of his poetic works, such as Sonnet 76 which talks about “a noted weed” and a “compound strange.” But until recently, a real-life link between Shakespeare and cannabis had not been discovered.

That all changed when a team of South African scientists decided to study 24 fragments from his pipe and test their chemical properties. After using gas chromatography on each fragment, they discovered that eight pieces had remnants of cannabis.^[5] And interestingly, much of this marijuana was traced back to Shakespeare’s own garden.

The same study predicts that in the coming years, there will be more excavations proving that smoking a variety of plants was quite common among men of Shakespeare’s stature. But so far, the pipes from Shakespeare’s garden are the only ones that have been identified as having links to cannabis.

5The Hollywood Sign—Twice!

Earlier this year, one man’s prank became national news. Using curtains to modify the letters, 30-year-old Zachary Fernandez changed the Hollywood sign to read “Hollyweed” in an effort to “bring positivity into the world.”^[6] He has since been arrested on charges of misdemeanor and vandalism.

But what most people do not know is that Fernandez intended this as an homage, not a prank. In 1976, prankster Danny Finegood modified the Hollywood sign in the same way in response to the recent passage of more permissive laws regarding marijuana in California.

As a matter of fact, California’s marijuana laws have gone between “Hollywood” and “Hollyweed” several times in its history. The call to make cannabis illegal actually came from California first, with white citizens claiming that Hispanic immigrants were committing crimes due to the crop’s influence. But ironically, California was also the first state to make medical marijuana legal in 1996, and today its views on the plant remain liberal.

4India’s Holi Festival

Holi is an annual religious tradition in India that celebrates the arrival of spring. One of the most well-known traditions from the festival is the throwing of colored pigments to represent fertility and new beginnings. Aside from this event, Holi contains thousands more religious traditions that have been passed down through time.

One of these important Holi traditions that most Westerners do not know about is “bhang.” This compound, made from crushing the buds of cannabis plants, is the main ingredient in Thandai, the religious alternative to alcohol.^[7] Even in ancient times, the people of India recognized marijuana’s effect on behavior and made Thandai the official drink of the festival so people would become more engaged in the celebration. It also doubles as a way to get friends and family together, since the process of making bhang requires many people to crush the plant into the right size. Today, the connection between Holi and bhang still exists, even though cannabis is technically illegal in India.

3Ancient Chinese Fabric

Marijuana’s history starts in China, where it was first cultivated somewhere around 5000 B.C. By 2000 B.C., the hemp variety of the plant had become the main source of material for Chinese textiles. For thousands of years after that, Chinese farmers sold their hemp fabrics throughout the world, and hemp-based textiles were one of the main products that contributed to the popularity of China’s “Silk Road.”

Up until recent times, this hemp fabric has been welcomed in other parts of the world. But with new restrictions on the international selling of hemp, Chinese scientists were forced to adapt their ancient textile to modern standards. Out of this innovation, seven new varieties of hemp fabric were born, named Yunma 1-7.^[8] They all meet the international standards for cannabis content while still retaining the properties and texture of original hemp fabric. As of right now, these fabrics are being legally bought and sold all over the world.

2A Rastafari Temple in Italy

Owning large quantities of marijuana is illegal in Italy. That is, for everyone except Rastafarians. Rastafari is a black liberation religious movement that began in Jamaica in the 1930s based on a prophecy by Marcus Garvey, and today, at least ten percent of Jamaicans claim to be members of the religion.

One of their fundamental sacraments is the smoking of pot, which works well in Jamaica where the herb is mainly legal and widely celebrated. But in Italy, where the population is predominately Roman Catholic, and the plant is less permissible, one Rastafarian’s possession of large amounts of marijuana—enough to roll 70 cigarettes—seemed suspicious to law enforcement. The jazz musician in question was eventually handed a sentence of 16 months in prison.

But the few Rastafarians of the community raised an issue with this ruling. In response, Italy’s Court of Cassation re-examined the case in July of 2008 and determined that Rastafarians are exempt from this law.^[9] So if you are considering smoking weed in Italy, try attending a Rastafari temple.

1The First Internet Transaction

In 1971, the first item ever sold on the Internet was marijuana.^[10] The sale, consisting of an undetermined amount of the plant, occurred between two college students, one from MIT and one from Stanford. At the time, these two colleges would have been some of the only places to have Internet access at all, which makes this sale particularly noteworthy and rare.

Technically, this transaction did not occur on the Internet as we know it today. In 1971 when this sale took place, a system called ARPANET was in place, which was the grandfather of today’s World Wide Web. But the two systems were so similar that ARPANET’s founder, Leonard Kleinrock, is also credited with creating the Internet itself. Because of this strong connection, this event is widely regarded as the first Internet sale even though it took place on ARPANET technology.

Sydney Sauer is a part-time content writer and full-time student.

Weed remains a firm favorite of recreational smokers. Not considered as damaging as drugs whipped up in a seedy laboratory, marijuana hides behind a “natural” look. However, this leafy habit can induce some hair-raising side effects.

From heart attacks and shrinking brains to first psychotic episodes and the loss of happiness, pot may not be the safe herb that many believe it to be. Marijuana is also behind several medical mysteries and, ironically, could be the answer to another rampant—and more deadly—drug crisis.

10 The Heart Attack Lollipop

In 2019, a medical report revealed how dangerous weed lollipops could be. The patient involved was an elderly man, aged 70, who had smoked a little marijuana in his youth. Seeking comfort from his insomnia and osteoarthritis, he decided to try edible marijuana. In this case, a lollipop.

As cute as the treat sounds, there is a huge difference between the normal kind and the THC-containing kind. The patient’s lollipop packed a staggering 90 milligrams of THC, more than 12 times the amount in a joint.^[1]

Instead of bringing sweet dreams, the active ingredient triggered terrifying hallucinations. The man had a history of heart disease, and the experience blended stress hormones, a heightened pulse, blood pressure, and anxiety, which led to a heart attack.

The lollipop was designed for multiple servings. Lick. Get high. Put it away for another time. Repeat until the psychoactive snack is done. Eating it in a single sitting was not a good idea, but at least the man survived.

9 The Sperm Question

The weed debate is alive and well in the men’s health department. Mainly, one question is difficult to settle: Does smoking marijuana boost or lower sperm count?

In 2015, a Denmark study found that enjoying a buzz more than once a week dropped the count by 30 percent. A more recent study used volunteers from a Massachusetts hospital. Around 665 men received fertility evaluations from 2000 to 2017. Part of this required answering a questionnaire.

One section was all about drugs and drinks. Only around 55 percent admitted to going the green route in their lifetimes, while 11 percent ticked the box “currently smoking.” Surprisingly, their semen samples produced higher counts than men who said they never touched the drug. For every year the men also did not pick up a joint, their sperm count saw a slight increase.^[2]

The debate is far from over because the studies’ results are so mercurial. However, for now, it appears that low usage might boost sperm numbers—might—and heavy use causes lower production.

8 Lower Pain Tolerance

In Colorado, doctors noticed that some trauma patients needed a higher dose of painkillers. Closer inspection revealed that many were regular marijuana users. This was unusual. In the past, the drug was also a remedy for pain.

To discover what was going on, researchers analyzed trauma cases from Colorado and Texas. They involved 260 individuals, all victims of serious car accidents in 2016. Around 54 patients had a recent encounter with weed, and 16 admitted to daily use. Illegal street drugs, including cocaine and amphetamines, also turned up in 9 percent.^[3]

People who were drug free managed on a daily dose of 5.6 milligrams of opioid medications. Those who only used weed needed 7.6 milligrams to numb pain. Another Colorado study considered how well burn patients handled pain. The findings were similar—heavy weed smokers needed substantially more opioids than non-using patients.

The implications could mean longer recovery and hospital stays as well as special narcotic treatments for marijuana users.

7 It Weakens Muscle Control

Most “green” studies focus on the drug’s psychotropic effects, including altered emotions and hallucinations. In 2015, Spanish researchers wondered about another side effect—impaired motor skills. Some people struggle to swallow, breathe, or speak properly.

To find out why, the team turned to mice and synthetic marijuana compounds. The idea was to see how the psychoactive compounds influenced nerve cells called motor neurons, which are then responsible for muscle movement.

The nerve cells that posed an interest in this particular study resided in the tongue. These motor neurons order muscle contraction during speech, swallowing, and breathing. Tests on the mice showed that the psychoactive ingredients interfered with communication between neurons, making them less active. This resulted in muscle weakness.^[4]

Ironically, the Spanish researchers believe it could explain why patients with neurodegenerative disease (like multiple sclerosis) report relief during marijuana use. Although the reason is not entirely clear, it could have something to do with the reduced activity of the neurons.

6 Teenagers And Depression

If it may be said, the good news is that smoking weed as a teenager cannot, as a rule, induce depression. That persistent darkness comes later. An international survey gathered data on depressed adults in the United Kingdom and the United States. It was a blanket review of 11 other studies that followed thousands of adolescents (who used cannabis) into adulthood.

When compared with non-users, they showed increased suicide attempts, anxiety, and clinical depression. After crunching the numbers, the statistics showed the tragic echo of weed in later life. Researchers identified over 460,000 adults who might have avoided depression had they never smoked as kids.

The main reason why adolescents are so vulnerable is the fact that their brains are still developing. A lot of receptors grow during this time and are sensitive to change. The actual depression could grow from the receptors that normally produce the feel-good juice serotonin but instead hold onto the psychoactive ingredient THC.^[5]

5 It Shrinks The Brain

In 2014, researchers in Texas rustled up 48 people with munchies. These adults were in a special study to see what could be gleaned from long-term users. Each had a chronic history with weed and had used it at least three times a day for a decade. The volunteers performed cognitive challenges while having their brains scanned. The results were not promising.

On average, the tests showed a lower IQ than non-users. A part of the brain had also shrunk. Called the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), this region regulates decision-making, increased neural connectivity, and addiction. This is also the center that makes rewards feel so good.

Since it is nature’s way to motivate people to discover what sustains them, a loss in OFC volume might not be the best thing. Remarkably, the study found that the brain attempted to compensate by increasing the connections between other regions. The brain’s structural integrity also improves. However, after about six years of marijuana use, this special connectivity declines again.^[6]

4 Fading Effect Bias

The human mind has a fascinating mechanism called the “fading effect bias.” Researchers liken it to an emotional immune system. It fades feelings linked to memories but erases the negative faster than the good ones. The purpose could be to boost mental health. If humans held onto every bad emotion, the burden would become too overwhelming.

In 2018, a study found something disturbing. Heavy marijuana use seemed to block the bias. As a result, volunteers who picked up pot at least four times a week held onto more negative vibes surrounding their memories. They also described their happy memories in general terms rather than as a specific event—for example, as a holiday rather than snorkeling in Hawaii.

Interestingly, both traits are also seen in people who suffer from depression. As with many marijuana studies, finding a definite answer can be tricky. The study identified a link between the drug and depression and found that it made a happy bias a bit wobbly. How this works step-by-step remains unknown.^[7]

3 Mysterious Syndrome

Violent nausea and upset stomach. Vertigo. Severe stomach cramps. Symptoms that only go away with a hot shower or bath. This mysterious illness was not officially linked to cannabis until 2004 when it was named cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).

The condition remains poorly understood, mainly because so many users do not connect their symptoms with weed. Even medical professionals cannot always recognize the condition, and it remains unclear what compounds in marijuana might be causing the syndrome.^[8]

However, in 2018, a large survey determined that long-term use was a trigger. The most surprising finding was how common CHS really was. Contrary to previous beliefs that the condition was rare, new estimates point to two million cases in the United States alone.

There is no known cure other than waving goodbye to the drug. CHS completely disappears once a person stops their green habit, but it returns again with renewed use.

2 The Psychosis Link

Pot has a dark side. Growing evidence shows that the drug is connected to people experiencing psychosis for the first time. Psychotic conditions are characterized by the inability to separate reality from delusion. This includes hearing and seeing things that are not real.

Heavy marijuana users are four times more at risk of developing schizophrenia, a disorder that affects mental clarity. Average users also face twice the chance of getting a psychotic disorder than somebody who never smoked.

The main link between psychosis and weed is the plant’s “high” chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Researchers believe this occurs because THC mimics psychotic symptoms, which could open the door to the real monsters.

When THC was tested on healthy individuals, they displayed psychotic traits. Meanwhile, patients with schizophrenia developed more severe symptoms. Additional factors make users a high-risk population for psychosis—certain genes, the strength of the weed strain, the use of synthetic cannabinoids, a paranoid personality, childhood trauma, and the start of smoking as teenagers.^[9]

1 The Opioid Solution

In the United States, over 130 people die every day from an opioid overdose. Opioids hide in painkillers, heroin, and a synthetic version called fentanyl. Related misuse, criminal activity, and medical care put an annual burden of $78.5 billion on the US government.

In 2018, two studies provided evidence that legal marijuana was behind a dramatic drop in opioid abuse and prescriptions. States that legalized recreational cannabis, as opposed to medical-only marijuana laws, saw the greatest decline in opioids. The two studies drove home what was already known in 2014 when researchers reported a 25 percent lower overdose rate in states with medical weed.

Those fighting opioids from a scientific and medical point of view hope to one day implement more marijuana dispensaries. Not all lawmakers are peachy with the idea. Weed is not perfect. But at the end of the day, it might be the best alternative in a crisis with few to no other options.^[10]