Have you ever wondered how we decided to smoke weed?

[Deja Q]

Well?! "ho dee hum, there's this plant in the ground. I'm going to yank it, roll it in a leaf, light it on fire, then inhale it. Hum dee hum dee hum..."

Now why did I decide to plug electrodes from an outlet into a large marshallow figuring of a baby duck again? :shrug: (not because I smoked anything, I only act that way... :rofl: )

[LostinVA]

1. I suspect it was right after prehistoric pizza was invented

[Richard Steele]

2. I think we were EATING it for milennia, so the effects were well known.

Once the whole 'smoking' thing was invented,
it was just inevitable that someone would
put that in their pipe and smoke it.

[anarch]

4. yeah, so I wonder how the whole smoking thing came about

"Say, let's light these dried flowers and leaves (of whatever plant) on fire, and breathe in the smoke!"

I guess maybe it started with leaves being incidentally thrown on a fire, and people enjoying the smoke? :shrug:

[hvn_nbr_2]

17. Campfire with some hemp on it. People on the downwind side get high.

Actually I've read that some ancient group (Parthians?) used to have a big ritual around a big hemp bonfire.

[4morewars]

3. Oooooo, I know this one,

I just can't remember it right now !

:smoke:

[WeRQ4U]

5. I've always wondered the same about coffee.

Who came across it and said, "You know, I bet if we crush this stuff up, and then steep it in water like tea, we'll be able to drink it and stay awake a long time."

[Richard Steele]

8. It was (allegedly) an unknown Ethiopian goatherder.

The coffee plant is native to Ethiopia,
and goatherders there noticed that their goats became
very energetic after eating those little red berries.

Since raw coffee berries are really not palatable to humans,
people seeking the medicinal effect naturally tried making
an herbal infusion from them,
drying and crushing the bean and mixing it with water.

The first person who tried roasting coffee beans
was probably just trying to speed up the drying process,
but discovered that it greatly improved the flavor as well.

[Ravenseye]

9. Ethiopians and Arabs

What his name was we'll never know, but he was either an Arab or Ethiopian. Arab traders obtained the seeds from Ethiopia and started their cultivation on the Arabian Penninsula somewhere between 1000 and 1500 years ago.

As far as why? Most likely the indiginous Ethiopians were aware of it's qualities to keep you awake. When people settle in an area for a long time, they usually become familiar with every plant, nut, seed, and so on. Hunter Gatherer's are quite efficient and discovering all the necessary plants and their uses. Quite likely an Arab trader obtained the beans in some sort of whole form, and being told of it's powers obtained enough to cultivate and grow and then turning it into tea wasn't a hard process at the time as Tea was already very widely drank.

[WeRQ4U]

10. intersting.

Makes sense.

Perhaps the origins of smoking pot are the same. Maybe it was used as tea. Does that work?

[Ravenseye]

11. Read Post 7 Below

That's exactly how it started.

[TheBaldyMan]

6. it seemed like a good idea after licking those toads

[Ravenseye]

7. Well I studied Ancient Technologies

I went to grad school for Archaeology (though dropped out before I got Piled High and Deep) and for awhile was studying drugs and alchohol usage, growth...connections to agriculture...

For instance one of the leading theories about how beer got started was that they needed a way to store their grain for the non-growing seasons. So they would make this really hard stale bread like biscoti which would keep for a long time. Then when they wanted to eat it, they'd soak it in water and juice and nuts and stuff to flavor it, and it turned into this mead'ish type drink. The alchohol content was pretty low but over time it rose and then...well you know the rest..

As far as Pot, I'm not sure if there are any recent theories. As far as I remember it originated in India and China, though only in India was it used for getting stoned. I think the earliest records of it's use in Hindu culture were around 1000 B.C. or so. Most likely it was initially used in tea's and other drinks and that's when it's effects first became known.

Smoking most likely evolved from incense type uses. People would burn things for the aroma, and obviously when you burn pot it has a very distinct smell. That smell will also get you messed up. From there it probably evolved over time from inhaling indirect smoke, to direct through human innovation.

[ghostsofgiants]

12. Not weed, but I have wondered it about tobacco.

[QuettaKid]

14. I have always wondered who figured out that they

could take a huge spike/nail and hammer it into their nostril without doing any damage.....I mean HOW do you get someone to be the first to try that little trick!?!?!

[SoCalDem]

13. I always questioned the sanity of the first one to eat an artichoke

They must have been very hungry:)

[trof]

19. And oysters.

Brave guy.

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. Uh...

I forgot, man.

:smoke:

[In_The_Wind]

16. Nope. I've never wondered about that.

[otohara]

18. I Wondered About It, But Then I Got High

and I don't know why1