The History of African Weed

The relationship between North Africa and marijuana is well-known today. The continent, on the other hand, has a long and complicated history with this much-loved and much-disliked psychoactive plant. Some of it is verifiable, some was deduced from archaeological discoveries, and some is pure assumption. We look at Africa’s extensive history with cannabis in this part

Cannabis has a long and complicated history in Africa. What we do know is that cannabis has been in Africa for a long time, although we’re unsure of when it first arrived.

Cannabis has been used in Africa for millennia, and there is strong historical evidence of its use across the continent. After Europeans came to Africa, cannabis usage was prohibited in many areas, but it did not totally annihilate them. Cannabis has been cultivated and consumed in great quantities on the continent throughout history. African marijuana may one day be purchased on European store shelves.

When and Where Did Cannabis Arrive in Africa?

Cannabis has a long history in Africa, having been used for millennia by many different cultures. The plant originally evolved in Asia before moving west, but cannabis has been consumed across the continent since antiquity, particularly in Northern and Mediterranean Africa.

While we can’t know for certain, historians believe that cannabis was being cultivated in Africa at minimum 1,000 years ago. Some evidence from Egypt suggests the slight possibility that it might’ve arrived there up to 5,000 earlier; however, this data is very scarce and unreliable. Most probable theory states entry points were Madagascar and North African Mediterranean Sea. Cannabis probably came through Egyptian borders and from other countries by ocean voyages.

Cannabis is known to have been used in North Africa for much longer than it has been in other parts of the continent. People were smoking and eating cannabis throughout the 12th century because to its intoxicating effects. Cannabis culture in Egypt and along the Red Sea was comparable to that seen elsewhere in the Levant. However, as you enter Western Islam (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), you encounter a distinct lifestyle revolving around cannabis use.

The Maghreb region is commonly associated with hashish production, but that is actually a recent development. In fact, research suggests that hashish was imported from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon; there is no evidence ofhashish production in the Maghrib until 1921.

Tracing Cannabis Use Through Language

The origins of cannabis in Africa become murkier the farther south you travel. This is partly due to a lack of archaeological evidence, and partly because explorers provide incorrect information. Their cannabis was frequently referred to as “African tobacco,” for example. Whether it was done on purpose to distinguish their own practice from that of native Africans or simply a misunderstanding about what they were eating, it’s impossible to say. Fortunately, there’s no argument about what they meant.

When it comes to monitoring drug use in Southern Africa, the term “dagga” is frequently employed to describe cannabis and so it’s a useful term.

Dagga: An Etymological Journey

Even though its precise origins are unclear, the term “dagga” is most likely derived from the Khoekhoe people of Southern Africa. It can refer to either a state intoxication or Leonotis leonurus—a member of the mint family that has serrated leaves which look similar to cannabis leaves.

The word ‘candy’ can be traced back to Jan van Riebeeck’s 1658 journal, where it was spelled as “daccha.”

By the time he recorded it, cannabis had already been used by various people, suggesting that it wasn’t limited to any one culture. While we don’t know exactly how long cannabis has been used for, this does suggest that it was popular for a significant amount of time.

Although the origins of the word ‘cannabis’ are unclear, it is most likely that it refers to either cannabis sativa or Leonotis leonurus. These two plants share a name and serrated leaves, but they have different flowers – only one of them (cannabis sativa) causes a high. It is not clear whether ‘cannabis’ originally referred to one plant or the other, or if it was misapplied at some point. This confusion has led scholars to propose various explanations.

Some people believe it has no African origin, but rather a Dutch derivation of “tabak,” which refers to nothing in relation to Africa’s ancient cannabis use. The term is derived from the Khoekhoe phrase for “tobacco.” If prefixed with “!am,” the word for green, it becomes amaXa-b, meaning green tobacco. This is how Brian tu Toit and Jean Branford explain how the term came about.

Who Used Cannabis in Africa?

Cannabis use has been prevalent in Africa for some time, although it hasn’t been equally so across the continent. Cannabis appears to have only recently arrived to parts of Western Africa during the 20th century. However, as we’ve seen, it’s been there for thousands of years in other areas of the continent.

Ancient Egypt

Historians have a difficult time dating when cannabis use began in Ancient Egypt. For example, they know that ancient Egyptians used hemp ropes and textiles because historians found them preserved over time. Additionally, it’s possible the ancient Egyptian civilization widely used all of cannabis’ many cannabinoids. The word “shemshemet” appears frequently in texts from these times; many historians believe this is another name for marijuana. People applied marijuana to various purposes back then, religious or medicinal.’s still unclear whether the Egyptians grew it or imported it themselves.

 The Khoekhoe

Southern Africa’s Khoekhoe people had already established themselves as cattle farmers by the time Dutch Boer settlers arrived. At first, they were seen as friendly, but over time contributing factors such as land theft and enslavement led to a decline in relations between the two groups.

The Khoekhoe are credited with van Riebeeck learning the word “dagga.” He observed that it was more valuable to them than gold, suggesting that it had great significance in their culture. They didn’t figure out how to smoke it until 1705. Previously, they had chewed it. According to tradition, other African communities swiftly accepted it.

The Zulus

While some early colonists criticized cannabis’s role in making native Africans lethargic, this only tells part of the story. It’s speculated that (according to AT Bryant) the fierce Zulu people used cannabis before battle, although we don’t have many records confirming this. So take this information with a grain of salt.

The Bashilange

According to Wissmann, the Bashilange were a violent people who underwent a fast and large cultural change after discovering cannabis–or “riamba.” In reality, they changed their name to Ben-Riamba, which means “from hemp,” he claims. On every night, the village would have smoking rituals involving cannabis. However, on more particular days, there was an increase in depravity. Cannabis was a central focus of punishment in all eras, because it had to be consumed. If someone broke a rule, they were forced to smoke marijuana as punishment until they passed out. In addition to smoking, individuals who committed a serious crime had to pay the victim of their crime salt as compensation. People began disregarding outdated hierarchies as a result of social changes during this period, bringing about an end to the practice. After the Bashilange lost their hold over the villages that used to pay them taxes, those villages stopped paying. This resulted in an uprising and accusations of sorcery against the royal family. They were sentenced to trial by smoking cannabis, during which Some rebels took advantage of the situation to try and kill the royals. Others intervened to stop them, after which they fled but returned later unpunished. Despite the failed assassination attempt, their days were numbered. The family was soon deposed, and the riamba religion came to an end. Many customs survived, including reduced penalties for offenses.

Cannabis in Colonial Africa

Many cannabis records in Sub-Saharan Africa come from Europeans. Cannabis cultivation and usage were originally allowed (if not encouraged). Cannabis was legal in many parts of colonial Africa from the 1870s through the 1890s. Cannabis use, on the other hand, became less and less acceptable over time.

Colonial Views on Cannabis Consumption

When the Pilgrims discovered that cannabis use made Native Americans lazy, they began to fight it. Stanley observed:

Wild hemp and cannabis smokers not only put themselves in physical danger, but they also subject their lungs and other organs to long-term damage. This weakened state is especially evident when the body is placed under duress – for example, during a caravan journey with a heavy load. Those whose abilities have been hindered by smoking eventually fall out of ranks, exposing their limitations and disabilities.

Some people believed that smoking cannabis was immoral and un-Christian. As a result, missionaries thought that if they could get Africans to stop using ganja, it would help save their souls.

Cannabis was originally cultivated to export the plant’s fibers to Europe, where they were used in textiles.

The Prohibition of Cannabis in Africa

Despite the criminalization of cannabis in 1890, a complete ban didn’t take place in Africa until much later. This was at least partially due to fear-mongering about marijuana use in America as well as international attempts to make it illegal.

In 1925, the League of Nations outlawed cannabis as part of the Geneva Opium Convention.

The Growth of Illegal Cannabis Markets

Even though it carries risks, people in Africa still grow and smoke marijuana illegally. Before it became illegal, people were already starting to shy away from cannabis use. They began hiding their grow operations and use of the plant until eventually only those at society’s margins were involved in cannabis culture.

The term marijuana is a great example of how cannabis has been banned in Africa. In Afrikaans, the suffix ” -ga” means something bad or unpleasant. So, the National Party of South Africa started using it to talk badly about cannabis. Many pro-cannabis advocates still don’t use the word dagga because of its negative meaning.

Despite the recent negative attitude shift against cannabis use in Africa, many people still illegally grow it. In fact, Africa used to be the world’s largest exporter of marijuana because it was legal in Morocco until recently.

Cannabis, the Slave Trade, and the Origin of “Marijuana”

It’s possible that African slaves carried cannabis to Europe and the Americas, as it was used for psychotropic purposes in Africa before it was introduced to those continents. In Africa, over 10 million people were enslaved and taken across the Atlantic Ocean. Many of these individuals most likely came from regions where growing and using cannabis were prevalent.

The term “marijuana” was likely brought over to America by African slaves, or picked up by Europeans in Africa and carried to the Americas. What we believe we do know, however, is that the word “marijuana” arrived with the slaves.

Cannabis is commonly referred to as “riamba.” The prefix “ma” pluralizes the term, resulting in “mariamba.” Mariamba eventually turned into “mariguana” in Mexico before making its way north and becoming known as “marihuana,” and finally just marijuana.

Marijuana in Modern Africa

Cannabis has been cultivated on a huge scale across Africa for more than a millennium. Morocco, in particular, is renowned for producing some of the world’s top hashish. Hashish production in North Africa, however, has just 100 years history and is now exploding.

More farmers in Africa began to cultivate cannabis illegally following the global market collapse in the 1980s. However, various governments learned that they could generate money by legalizing and selling marijuana as time progressed. This transition from illicit to legal manufacture is still going on today.

Cannabis Legalization in Africa

So far, nine African nations have legalized cannabis, and more are considering it. South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Eswatini and Morocco are among them.

The legalization of cannabis in the United States and Canada has had a significant influence on these developments. Which raises its own set of concerns. Duvall characterizes much of this phenomenon as neo-colonialism. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that many of these rules demand licenses and money that can only be obtained by bigger businesses from the North Global World. Neo-colonialism, also known as “canna-colonization,” is widespread in six out of the nine countries examined by Duvall (57 percent).

The earnings fromlegal cannabis production can’t be earned domestically because the problem isn’t with cannabis legalization, but rather ensuring that locals can profit from it.

The Future of Cannabis in Africa

It appears that in the near future, Africa will produce more marijuana, but it’s difficult to know what this implies and whether neo-colonialism is simply a blip on the radar or something more serious.

The history of cannabis in Africa is a long and complicated one that isn’t going away any time soon, and it’s entering into another era.