The earliest record of cannabis use shows up in Siberian hair
STUDY: Caspari G et al, Science 2026;394(6824)
STUDY TYPE: Archaeological analysis
FUNDING: Russian Geographical Society, Russian Academy of Sciences, European Research Council
Background
Cannabis’ ancient history rests mostly on seeds in graves and a passage from Herodotus about Scythians from central Asia inhaling hemp smoke (circa 450 bc). Today’s discovery pushes the date back earlier, documenting not just seeds but evidence of human use.
Results
Working at a Scythian royal burial mound in southern Siberia, researchers recovered about 1,500 cannabis seeds from coffins and around the bodies, and radiocarbon-dated them. The seeds date to the early 8th century BCE, when the tomb was built. Their shape matches wild cannabis.
To prove human use, they tested hair using mass spectrometry. Every hair sample contained cannabinol (CBN), a breakdown product of THC, at a median of 0.56 μg/g. Two samples ran far higher, at 8.8 and 100 μg/g. Faint THC signals matched hair from modern cannabis users.
That makes this the earliest direct evidence of cannabis consumption, about 300 years older than previous finds.
People in this tomb took in cannabis, but we can’t prove they did so intentionally. Hair absorbs cannabinoids from surrounding smoke, and the plant may have been burned as incense.
Practice Implications
- This post is not an endorsement of cannabis, but a recognition that its use is ancient, dating back nearly as far as opioids (3,000-5,000 years ago) but still younger than alcohol (around 13,000 years ago).
—Chris Aiken, MD
Director, Psych Partners
Editor in Chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report
