Dis-moi, comment ça se fait que les anciens utilisaient le cannabis pour la spiritualité et la médecine, alors que maintenant c'est considéré comme une drogue interdite ?
History

According to genetic and archaeological evidence, cannabis was first domesticated about 12,000 years ago in East Asia during the early Neolithic period. The use of cannabis as a mind-altering drug has been documented by archaeological finds in prehistoric societies in Eurasia and Africa. The oldest written record of cannabis usage is the Greek historian Herodotus 's reference to the central Eurasian Scythians taking cannabis steam baths. His (c. 440 BCE) Histories records, "The Scythians, as I said, take some of this hemp-seed, and, creeping under the felt coverings, throw it upon the red-hot stones; immediately it smokes, and gives out such a vapour as no Greek vapour-bath can exceed; the Scyths, delighted, shout for joy." Classical Greeks and Romans also used cannabis.

In China, the psychoactive properties of cannabis are described in the Shennong Bencaojing (3rd century AD). Cannabis smoke was inhaled by Daoists, who burned it in incense burners.

In the Middle East, use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545, cannabis spread to the western hemisphere where Spaniards imported it to Chile for its use as fiber. In North America, cannabis, in the form of hemp, was grown for use in rope, cloth and paper.

Cannabinol (CBN) was the first compound to be isolated from cannabis extract in the late 1800s. Its structure and chemical synthesis were achieved by 1940, followed by some of the first preclinical research studies to determine the effects of individual cannabis-derived compounds in vivo.

Globally, in 2013, 60,400 kilograms of cannabis were produced legally.
Spirituel

Le cannabis a occupé une place sacrée dans plusieurs religions et a servi d'entheogène – une substance chimique utilisée dans des contextes religieux, chamaniques ou spirituels – depuis la période védique sur le sous-continent indien. Les premiers rapports connus concernant le statut sacré du cannabis sur le sous-continent indien proviennent du *Atharva Veda*, estimé avoir été composé vers 1400 avant J.-C. Le dieu hindou Shiva est décrit comme un consommateur de cannabis, connu sous le nom de « Seigneur du bhang ».

Dans la culture moderne, l'usage spirituel du cannabis a été diffusé par les disciples du mouvement rastafari qui utilisent le cannabis comme un sacrement et comme un aide à la méditation.
### Query ###
Dis-moi, comment ça se fait que les anciens utilisaient le cannabis pour la spiritualité et la médecine, alors que maintenant c'est considéré comme une drogue interdite ?

### Main Text ###
History

According to genetic and archaeological evidence, cannabis was first domesticated about 12,000 years ago in East Asia during the early Neolithic period. The use of cannabis as a mind-altering drug has been documented by archaeological finds in prehistoric societies in Eurasia and Africa. The oldest written record of cannabis usage is the Greek historian Herodotus 's reference to the central Eurasian Scythians taking cannabis steam baths. His (c. 440 BCE) Histories records, "The Scythians, as I said, take some of this hemp-seed, and, creeping under the felt coverings, throw it upon the red-hot stones; immediately it smokes, and gives out such a vapour as no Greek vapour-bath can exceed; the Scyths, delighted, shout for joy." Classical Greeks and Romans also used cannabis.

In China, the psychoactive properties of cannabis are described in the Shennong Bencaojing (3rd century AD). Cannabis smoke was inhaled by Daoists, who burned it in incense burners.

In the Middle East, use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545, cannabis spread to the western hemisphere where Spaniards imported it to Chile for its use as fiber. In North America, cannabis, in the form of hemp, was grown for use in rope, cloth and paper.

Cannabinol (CBN) was the first compound to be isolated from cannabis extract in the late 1800s. Its structure and chemical synthesis were achieved by 1940, followed by some of the first preclinical research studies to determine the effects of individual cannabis-derived compounds in vivo.

Globally, in 2013, 60,400 kilograms of cannabis were produced legally.

### Supplementary Text ###
Spirituel

Le cannabis a occupé une place sacrée dans plusieurs religions et a servi d'entheogène – une substance chimique utilisée dans des contextes religieux, chamaniques ou spirituels – depuis la période védique sur le sous-continent indien. Les premiers rapports connus concernant le statut sacré du cannabis sur le sous-continent indien proviennent du *Atharva Veda*, estimé avoir été composé vers 1400 avant J.-C. Le dieu hindou Shiva est décrit comme un consommateur de cannabis, connu sous le nom de « Seigneur du bhang ».

Dans la culture moderne, l'usage spirituel du cannabis a été diffusé par les disciples du mouvement rastafari qui utilisent le cannabis comme un sacrement et comme un aide à la méditation.

### Draft ###

### 1. Query Decomposition

"comment ça se fait que les anciens utilisaient le cannabis pour la spiritualité et la médecine"

Key assumption: "anciens" = unified historical period. Reality check needed.

"spiritualité et la médecine" → two domains, potentially different timelines.

"maintenant c'est considéré comme une drogue interdite" → temporal shift, regulatory focus.

? Translation nuance: "spiritualité" broader than English "spirituality" - includes shamanic/mystical traditions.

### 2. Historical Knowledge Retrieval

**Ancient use patterns:**
● China: ~2800 BCE medicinal texts (Shennong Ben Cao Jing)
● India: Vedic period → Shiva/Bhang tradition, Ayurvedic medicine  
● Middle East: Islamic Golden Age, hashish literature
● Pre-Columbian Americas: various indigenous uses

**Spiritual domains identified:**
- Hinduism: Shiva iconography, bhang ceremonies
- Buddhism: meditation aids, monastic traditions
- Shamanism: Siberian, Native American, African
- Mysticism: Sufi, Christian hermetic traditions

### 3. Medical Historical Use

**Known therapeutic applications:**
◐ Pain management (analgesic properties)
◐ Seizure control (documented epilepsy treatment)  
◐ Inflammation reduction
◐ Digestive aid (antiemetic, antispasmodic)

**Key compounds identified:**
- THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) - psychoactive
- CBD (cannabidiol) - therapeutic, non-psychoactive
- CBN (cannabinol) - sedative
- Various terpenes contributing to effects

### 4. Prohibition Timeline Analysis

**Modern prohibition origins:**
→ 1906: US Pure Food and Drug Act (opium, cocaine, cannabis)
→ 1914-1925: State cannabis prohibition laws
→ 1925: International Opium Convention
→ 1937: US Marijuana Tax Act (de facto prohibition)
→ 1948: UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

**Key drivers:**
⚠ Racial/cultural biases (Mexican immigrants, jazz musicians)
⚠ Economic competition (hemp vs. cotton/paper industries)  
⚠ Limited scientific understanding of risks
○ Medical community opposition (professional turf)

### 5. Knowledge Gaps & Uncertainties

◐ Incomplete data on ancient quantitative usage
? Cultural variation in consumption patterns
⚠ Potential survivorship bias in documented traditions
○ Medical efficacy vs. addictive potential balance

**Physical constraints helping analysis:**
- Cannabis cultivation widespread globally → multiple independent discoveries likely
- Pharmacological effects observable → self-reinforcing cultural transmission
- Chemical composition stable → reproducible experiences across cultures

### 6. Logical Synthesis

**Core contradiction to resolve:**
Ancient spiritual/medical use ≠ Modern prohibition status

**Resolution framework:**
1. **Temporal fallacy**: "anciens" not unified - practices evolved
2. **Cultural embedding**: Sacred vs. recreational vs. medical usage
3. **Regulatory capture**: Economic/political interests overlived scientific evidence
4. **Knowledge asymmetry**: Limited understanding of risks/benefits

**Key insight:** 
Prohibition represents discontinuity, not evolution. Modern medical research validating ancient observations (pain, inflammation, etc.) while stricter regulations persist.

∴ Historical precedent alone insufficient to explain current status - requires understanding prohibition origins, regulatory capture, and ongoing scientific reevaluation.

### Answer###
Votre question touche à une transformation fascinante dans l'histoire de l'humanité. Le cannabis a effectivement une longue histoire d'utilisation à des fins spirituelles et médicales qui remonte à des millénaires.

En Chine, dès le IIIe siècle après J.-C., le Shennong Bencaojing décrivait les propriétés psychoactives du cannabis. Les Daoïstes l'utilisaient même comme fumigation dans leurs pratiques spirituelles. Sur le sous-continent indien, le cannabis occupait une place sacrée dans plusieurs religions et servait d'entheogène depuis la période védique, notamment associé au dieu Shiva qui était connu comme le "Seigneur du bhang". Cette tradition perdure aujourd'hui dans la culture moderne, notamment chez les disciples du mouvement rastafari qui utilisent le cannabis comme sacrement et aide à la méditation.

Concernant l'aspect médical, les premières recherches sur les composés du cannabis datent de la fin du XIXe siècle, lorsque le cannabinol (CBN) fut isolé. Les recherches précliniques ont ensuite permis de déterminer les effets des composés dérivés du cannabis in vivo.

Concernant l'interdiction moderne, je ne peux pas vous donner les détails spécifiques sur les raisons qui ont conduit à cette évolution réglementaire, car cela nécessiterait une analyse plus approfondie des facteurs politiques, économiques et sociaux qui ont influencé les décisions de prohibition au XXe siècle.