Archaeological discoveries

Cannabis domesticated 12,000 years ago in China, study finds

Study claims to have determined "timing and origin of domestication, patterns of post-domestication divergence, and current genetic diversity " Cannabis.

Cannabis has been used for millennia for textiles and for its medicinal and recreational properties

Researchers claim to have discovered that cannabis was first cultivated by humans around 12,000 years ago in China, according to a study based on the analysis of plant genomes from around the world.

110 whole genomes spanning the entire cannabis spectrum

The study, published July 16, 2021 in the journal Science Advances , explains that the genomic history of cannabis domestication has not been sufficiently studied compared to other cultivated species, largely due to legal restrictions. The researchers therefore compiled 110 whole genomes covering the entire spectrum of cannabis, ranging from wild plants, to historical cultivars (a variety of a plant species artificially obtained for cultivation), to modern hybrids used for hemp and drugs.

The study claims to have determined "time and origin of domestication, post-domestication divergence patterns, and current genetic diversity "."Our genomic dating suggests that the earliest domesticated ancestors of hemp and drug types diverged from basal cannabis " about 12,000 years ago, "indicating that the species had already been domesticated in the early Neolithic ", according to this study. "Contrary to a widely accepted view, which associates cannabis with a center of crop domestication in Central Asia, our results are consistent with a single origin of domestication of cannabis sativa in East Asia. Is, in agreement with the earliest archaeological evidence ", also believe the authors.

A plant cultivated for multiple purposes for several millennia

Cannabis has been used for millennia for textiles, as well as for its medicinal and psychotropic properties. The evolution of the cannabis genome suggests that the plant has been cultivated for multiple purposes for several millennia, according to the same study. The current varieties of hemp and drugs come from selective cultivation initiated around 4,000 years ago, optimized for the production of fibers or cannabinoids. The selection resulted in tall, unbranched hemp plants with more fiber in the main stem, and short, well-branched marijuana plants with more flowers, maximizing resin production. The study was led by Luca Fumagalli of the University of Lausanne and involved scientists from Britain, China, India, Pakistan, Qatar and Switzerland.