Cannabis in Chinese Medicine: Are Some Traditional Indications Referenced in Ancient Literature Related to Cannabinoids?

Summary & key facts

Cannabis has been used in Chinese medicine for almost 2,000 years. Most traditional use focused on the seeds, but old texts also describe using the flowering parts and other pieces of the plant for things like pain and mental problems. Modern researchers are asking whether those old uses relate to compounds we now know as CBD and THC. The article reviews historical records and points out that many records are untranslated and that key questions remain about which old names mean which plant parts and how breeding for fiber changed the plant's medical qualities.

Key facts:

• Chinese medical books record uses of the cannabis plant for about 2,000 years.
• Traditional practice mainly used the seeds, called achenes, in medical treatments.
• Ancient texts also mention using the female flowers and other parts for conditions such as pain and mental illness.
• Researchers are exploring whether those old indications might connect to modern cannabis chemicals like CBD and THC.
• Most historical Chinese records about cannabis have not been translated into Western languages, which makes studying them harder.
• Important questions are unresolved, including which traditional drug names match which plant parts, and how long-term breeding for strong fibers changed the plant's medical properties.
• This article reviews the history and looks for links between ancient Chinese indications and compounds that scientists study today, but it does not claim to have definitive answers.

Abstract

Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae) has a long history of utilization as a fiber and seed crop in China, and its achenes (“seeds”) as well as other plant parts have been recorded in Chinese medical texts for nearly 2000 years. While the primary applications of cannabis in Chinese medicine center around the use of the achenes, ancient indications for the female inflorescence and other plant parts include conditions such as pain and mental illness that are the subject of current research into cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, little previous research has been conducted to analyze the Chinese medical literature in light of recent advances in the pharmacology and taxonomy of cannabis, and most of the relevant Chinese historical records have not yet been translated into Western languages to facilitate textual research. Furthermore, many key questions remain unresolved in the Chinese literature, including how various traditional drug names precisely correspond to different plant parts, as well as the implications of long-term selection for fiber-rich cultivars on the medical applications of cannabis in Chinese medicine. In this article, prominent historical applications of cannabis in Chinese medicine are chronologically reviewed, and indications found in ancient Chinese literature that may relate to cannabinoids such as CBD and ∆9-THC are investigated.

Topics

Berberine and alkaloids research Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Alternative medicine Archaeology Biology Botany Cannabidiol Cannabis Cannabis sativa China History Medicine Pathology Psychiatry Traditional Chinese medicine Traditional medicine

Substances

Cannabis

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Chronic Pain Depression Anxiety or worry Chronic pain Sadness or low mood