The Origins of Narcotics: From Early Use to Widespread Distribution

UNGKIT.COM – The origins of narcotics are rooted in the use of natural plants—such as opium and cannabis—by ancient civilizations thousands of years ago for traditional medicine, religious rituals, and pain relief.

Experts categorize the use of these narcotics—which dates back to prehistoric times—based on the history of their early use, geographical location, and type.

The ancient Sumerians (circa 5000–3500 BCE) are known to have been among the first to use the opium plant (Papaver somniferum)—derived from the poppy flower—to alleviate pain and induce a calming effect.

In Asia, archaeological evidence indicates that cannabis seeds were used as far back as prehistoric times; indeed, cannabis is recorded as one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world.

Archaeological findings regarding cannabis in Asia include the Oki Island site in Japan. Archaeologists discovered cannabis seeds (Cannabis sativa) dating back to approximately 8000 BCE, during the early Jōmon period.

Subsequently, in Taiwan, pottery discovered from the 8000–3000 BCE era bears decorative impressions made using hemp cord (cannabis fiber).

In China's Yellow River Valley, hemp was a major commodity used to manufacture clothing, rope, and paper long before the plant was documented in the ancient medical text *Shennong Bencao Jing*.

Meanwhile, in ancient Egypt (circa 1550 BCE), historical documents record that physicians used extracts from these substances as pain relievers, or analgesics.

Indigenous peoples of the Americas have utilized various psychoactive plants and cacti for thousands of years as a core part of their religious rituals, healing practices, and spiritual ceremonies.

For these cultures, these plants were not viewed as recreational drugs, but rather as "sacred medicinal plants" or "spiritual teachers" that enabled them to communicate with the spirit world or the gods.

The Papaver somniferum plant (opium) has a long history, having been cultivated by various ancient civilizations as far back as several millennia BCE.

The earliest records of opium cultivation come from the Sumerians in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3400 BCE. They referred to the plant as Hul Gil, or the "plant of happiness."

From Mesopotamia, knowledge of opium spread to Ancient Egypt. Around 1500 BCE, the famous Egyptian medical text known as the Ebers Papyrus documented the use of opium as a sedative and pain reliever.

Ancient trade routes carried the plant and its seeds eastward toward India and China. By approximately 2000 BCE, Papaver somniferum was being grown in various regions, including China, India, and other countries.

In Asia, the plant was initially used on a limited basis as an herbal remedy for diarrhea, asthma, and pain relief before eventually becoming a major trade commodity in subsequent centuries.

In 330 BCE, Alexander the Great introduced opium to India and Persia. At that time, the peoples of India and Persia used it during banquets and leisure activities (cited from Antonio Escohotado, General History of Drugs, Grafitti Militante, Santiago: 2010).

In 1806, Friedrich Wilhelm, a physician from Westphalia, successfully modified opium by mixing it with ammonia to create morphine—named after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. Morphine was subsequently used widely as a painkiller during the American Civil War.

In 1874, Alder Wright, a chemist from London, boiled morphine with acetic anhydride, and the resulting substance was tested on dogs. Its effects include symptoms such as lying prone, fear, drowsiness, and vomiting.

In 1898, the Bayer company began producing the compound under the name heroin as an official pain reliever. Today, heroin is no longer used in medical treatment; only morphine remains in use.

Cocaine, another narcotic substance, is derived from the coca plant, which grows in Peru and Bolivia. Following World War II and throughout the Cold War era, the threat of narcotics began to be viewed as a global issue—not merely a criminal or medical matter, but also a threat to security.

This shift was evidenced by the convening of the First International Opium Commission in Shanghai in 1909, an initiative driven by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and church leader Charles H. Brent, and attended by representatives from Russia, China, Britain, and Japan. (*)

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