Pre-modern human skeleton found with ‘traces of cannabis’ in world first discovery – and may have been ‘self-medicating’
A SKELETON containing the first evidence of cannabis in skeletal remains has been discovered.
The remains were originally located in a 17th-century hospital crypt in Milan, Italy.
They were investigated as part of a study involving the University of Milan in Italy.
A team of researchers took bone samples from the remains of nine pre-modern humans.
They were turned to powder and their chemical compositions were investigated.
The molecules tetrahydrocannabinol and THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) were found in the remains of a young male and a middle-aged woman.
It’s thought the skeletons had been buried at the site sometime in the 17th century between 1638 and 1697.
They were both patients Milan’s Ca’ Granda Hospital.
The researchers think cannabis was potentially being used for recreational purposes by the individuals.
They wrote in the study: “We hypothesize that the subjects under investigation used cannabis as a recreational substance.”
Things might not be as clear cut though and the scientists also note that the cannabis traces could indicate self-medication.
Traces could even be in the bones due to involuntary exposure.
The researchers explained: “Although other sources of exposure, such as self-medication, administration as a medical plant by other doctors outside of the Ca’ Granda, occupational and involuntary exposure, cannot be excluded.
“In conclusion, this study reports the first physical evidence of cannabis use in Modern Age in Italy but also in Europe.”
None of the Ca’ Granda Hospital’s records suggest cannabis was being used as a treatment.
The researchers hope to expand their toxicological analysis to find other substances in ancient remains, including cocaine.