History of Drug Usage from Ancient times until the Present

Before exploring the safety and other explicit details of recent drug usage, perhaps looking back throughout history can help us better understand why humans still engage in drug practices.

First, some questions...
Where did the desire to alter consciousness began? Is it a biologically ingrained process? Do other species participate in consciousness alteration? How many ancient peoples have been through these drug induced spiritual gatherings? How did it change through time?

From here this leads me to one of my dominant questions - why is alcohol one of the most legal and central drug/intoxicant of consumption throughout much of the world today?

I seek answers to these questions and have a passion for looking up to find out how we ended up in this universe of different drugs on our planet.

An attempt will be made to keep this as direct and precise as possible in order to get a quick sum up of the usage of drugs throughout known history.





OUTLINE

Earliest Use





Earliest Use

Looking at Encyclopedia Britannica for initial reference, the "Drug Use" section has several instances mentioned of historic drug use. Britannica refers specifically to different types of psychotropic drugs, meaning drugs that alter the mind state, mood, or consciousness. These drugs include opiates like morphine and opium, hallucinogens, like mushrooms and mescaline as well as cocaine, amphetamine, alcohol and other drugs that exist today or throughout history. [EbDrus xxxx].

One of the first drugs mentioned is opium. The history of opiates and opium poppies goes back several thousand years to Sumerian Records from Mesopotamia with reference to the poppy (5000 BCE - 4000 BCE). Homer's writings indicate usage in Greece from 900 BCE. It was likely relayed to the Romans when they conquered the eastern Mediterranean [EbDrus xxxx]. Philosopher and Scientist Galen's (130 CE - 200 CE) writings on the matter were used extensively for hundreds of years. The art of opium based medicinals was preserved through the Islamic civilization following the decline of the Roman empire. The Arabs later introduced Persia, China, and India to Opium [EbDrus xxxx]
***Most heroin today comes from Middle East, check next source

There is not much documented history of abuse until the 1800's. The invention of the hypodermic needle came in the middle of this century and soldiers began using Intravenous methods to increase opiate intake leading to many addicted soldiers. Towards the end of the century gamblers, prostitutes and other "criminals" began to be most associated with the drug and abuse increased throughout the 1900's worldwide [EbDrus xxxx].

The hallocinogen class of drugs was also mentioned by Encyclopedia Britannica and discusses as recently as 2,000 years ago did people start exploring with psychedelic drugs like "sacred" mushrooms of Mexico or Peyote Mescal Cactus. Not until 1943 did Albert Hoffman accidentally develop Lysergic Acid Diethyl-amide (LSD-25) forming a significantly more potent dosage of hallucinogens than had been thought of before [EbDrus xxxx]

Cannabis is an ancient herb known to grow in China and central Asia as early as 3000 BCE. Historically cannabis has had medicinal value and was not used as a folk medicine prior to the 1900's. It was reportedly used for analgesia, local anesthetic, antispasmodic, antidepressant, antiasthmatic, appetite stimulant, and antibiotic [DbDrus xxxx].

Another source observed that while human usage of drugs throughout ancient history was suspected, there was proof lacking to validate these claims. However, researchers have found equipment that they believe was used as paraphernalia for sniffing in South American tribes from 400BCE (Before Common Era) to 100BCE [STNAGE 2008]. Scientists believe the drug was Cohoba, a hallucinogenic drug derived from the beans of the Mimosa species. (A quick find on erowid.org: Mimosa species tend to be part of Ayahuasca or contain high levels of DMT in several species [ERODM 2015]). The article goes on further to mention that Archaeologists have suspected drug use as far back as 5000 BCE with usage of Mescal from Peyote Cacti, but further research and testing is needed [STNAGE 2008].

Further specifics of the drug history for each drug will be elaborated later!

Source note: Further research indicated the Stone Age to be a prehistoric period, and not near CE (Common Era) which the article cites. More research needed.














Sources

STNAGE 2008
Stone Age man took drugs, says scientists
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3225729/Stone-Age-man-took-drugs-say-scientists.html
Author: Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Date Updated: 19 October 2008

ERODM 2015
Ayahuasca: alkaloids, plants & analogs
https://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/ayahuasca_apa/aya_sec3_part2_mimosa_spp.shtml
Author: Assembled by "Keeper the Trout", Date Updated, 10 February 2015

EbDrus xxxx
Drug Use
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/172024/drug-use
Author: William Glenn Steiner, Date Updated: ??? Date Accessed: 4 March, 2015
(It may be wise to read this in full)


http://swilhite.weebly.com/history-of-psychoactive-drug-use.html