To really know cannabis – its character, its roots, the worlds from which it emerged – you have to know the deep history and deep geography of Ukraine, in particular an encounter on the Black Sea Steppe between the ancient Greeks and the Pontic Scythians that began almost 3000 years ago, out of which emerged the first written account of cannabis intoxication and the very word cannabis itself.
The Scythians only enjoy a fleeting role in this lecture series, but Snyder is still as fine a guide as there is to Ukraine and what its unfolding history means for all of us and our futures.
For a journey deeper into the world of the Scythians themselves check out this excellent lecture by ace archaeologist Barry Cunliffe, The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe, and this piece about those alleged Scythian bongs: Those Scythian Bongs Don’t Exist.