Scientists at the Natural History Museum in Berlin have unveiled what may be the oldest known cannabis plant fossil, dating back 56 million years. This remarkable find has stunned researchers by doubling the previously established timeline for the cannabis genus, casting new light on the plant’s origins and evolution. The fossil, which was uncovered in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt region, suggests that cannabis plants were thriving long before the timeline originally suggested, drastically shifting our understanding of the plant’s early history. This newly identified fossil is not just an ordinary plant relic, it’s the potential missing link that could change the narrative about cannabis. The fossil, which contains an imprint of a cannabis leaf, was first discovered nearly 150 years ago but has only now been thoroughly analyzed. The leaf’s structure, which closely resembles that of modern cannabis plants, has astounded researchers. The fossil comes from a time known as the Lower Eocene period, spanning from roughly 56 to 48 million years ago. This ancient plant imprint was encased in mud, preserving details so precise that it almost seems as if it were a modern leaf. This discovery rewrites the early history of cannabis, showing that it predates the traditional origin stories associated with the Tibetan Plateau and other parts of Asia. The study also opens the door to future discoveries. While this fossil is a significant step forward, researchers caution that there could be even older fossils waiting to be uncovered. “As the family of Cannabaceae exists since the Cretaceous (approximately 90 million years ago), we might expect even older finds of the genus Cannabis. However, fossil localities are hardly accessible and the research focus on the floras of this age is low,” Luthardt explained. This suggests that further exploration and more focused research on ancient plant fossils could yield even more surprising finds about the early evolution of cannabis and its relatives. Luthardt’s team is now revisiting collections in museums across Europe to search for additional fossils that might shed more light on the history of cannabis. This discovery serves as a reminder of how much there still is to learn about the ancient world, and how modern technology and scientific inquiry can reveal long-buried truths. 📝 indiandefencereview.com/56-m… #AncientCannabis #CannabisFossil #OldestCannabis #CannabisHistory #CannabisOrigins #CannabisEvolution #LandraceCannabis #CannabisHeritage #Landrace #CannabisCommunity #Paleobotany #ReclaimThePlant