Recently, a 2,700-year-old grave was unearthed, of a man buried in the Gobi Desert. Beside him was two pounds of marijuana (still green?!).

“Nearly two pounds of still-green plant material found in a 2,700-year-old grave in the Gobi Desert has just been identified as the world’s oldest marijuana stash, according to a paper in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Botany.” Read more of this article here.

This is pretty interesting—it begs the question: In ancient times, aside from hemp for rope, twine, etc., just what was marijuana used for?

“Before the burial, someone had carefully picked out all of the male plant parts, which are less psychoactive, so Russo and his team believe there is little doubt as to why the cannabis was grown.”

Today it’s widely accepted that parts of the marijuana plant have many uses, including medical and nutritional. It’s also clear that many folks abuse pot, and are simply “checking out.” Until its ban in 1937, marijuana was the biggest cash crop in the United States. Today, it’s the fourth biggest cash crop, despite being illegal.

“Although banned by the U.S. federal government in 1937, it is estimated that 14.6 million Americans use marijuana, which is roughly the population of Calcutta, India.” More here.

Weigh in. What was this man, who had 2 lbs of Marijuana on him, using it for? Can there be “conscious” uses of Marijuana? What if it is used in “sacred” ceremonies for spiritual purposes?