With an estimated 2.4 billion followers worldwide (or almost a third of the global population), Christianity remains the world’s largest religion. Based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, arguably the most influential prophet in history, Christianity has spread to almost every corner of the globe. But while Christ’s miraculous abilities and healing powers are usually thought to be a sign of his divinity, some people believe that some of these may have a more reasonable explanation: cannabis.
In fact, this theory has gained increased support in recent years as scholars delve into references made in the Bible. But could all this really be true? Could Jesus have really been a stoner?
Well, I suppose that depends on how you interpret the word “stoner”. If you’re picturing Jesus passing a blunt between himself and his disciples, you would probably be a little off the money, and perhaps even a little blasphemous. Still, if your consideration of a stoner is simply a person who makes use of the many benefits of the cannabis plant, then you could be right.
Of course, to really get to the crux of this question, we need to take a close look at the available evidence, and what better place to start than with arguably one of the first people to have made this controversial connection?
Sula Benet and the origins of cannabis
In 1967, a Polish anthropologist called Sula Benet published her work, “Early Diffusion and Folk Uses of Hemp”. In it, Benet questions the earliest mention of cannabis in ancient texts. The first mention of cannabis use was – and still is – widely accepted to be by Herodotus in the 5th century B.C., in which the Greek historian notes of the throwing of hemp seeds onto hot rocks by the Scythians to produce a thick vapour bath which caused them to “howl with joy”. Benet argues that the use of the plant actually predates this by at least 1,000 years.
Furthermore, taking basis in various translations of “cannabis”, including the Assyrian word “qunnabu”, the Persian “kenab”, and the Arabic “kanab”, Benet proposed that several words in the Bible had been erroneously translated. According to her, the plants and spices referred to as “kaneh”, kaneh hatob”, and “kaneh bosem”, which are usually translated as “sweet cane” or “sweet calamus”, actually refer to hemp.
It’s hard to deny that “kaneh bosem” sounds suspiciously similar to “cannabis”, but this could well just be a coincidence. Thankfully, Benet supported her theory in other ways. She claims that the root “kan” has a double meaning in many ancient languages, including Hebrew – the language of the First Testament. While it has traditionally been translated as “reed”, it can also mean “hemp”.
As Benet argues, there were likely several origin sites for cannabis use in the ancient world, including the Middle East where Jesus is said to have lived and taught the word of God. Indeed, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of cannabis use in ancient Jewish societies around Jerusalem. In 2020, researchers identified the remains of burnt cannabis plants in stone alters within a shrine on the border of the ancient kingdom of Judah. The shrine is believed to date back to between 760 and 715 B.C., indicating the spiritual use of cannabis in the area.
The Biblical use of cannabis
Suppose Benet’s translation of “kaneh bosom” is correct. This would mean that the holy aromatic oil that Moses, directed by God, produces in Exodus 30:23, from myrrh, sweet cinnamon, kaneh bosem, and Kassia, may well have contained cannabis. This holy anointing oil was used to consecrate holy articles as well as Aaron and his sons as priests; however, the sacred formula was not to be used for any other purpose: “Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.”
But some argue that this isn’t the only reference to cannabis in the Biblical texts.
A healing ingredient in holy anointing oil?
In the New Testament, Jesus is said to have broken with the ancient Hebrew tradition of reserving anointing oils for priests and kings. He reportedly encouraged his followers to anoint themselves with the oil and to use anointing oils in the healing of the sick, as Mark 6:13 demonstrates: “They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”
Some followers of this train of thought suggest that the “demons” mentioned in this passage could refer to neurological conditions such as epilepsy, for which cannabis has been shown to have a therapeutic effect. However, this theory may be beyond the scope of current evidence.
Still, if kaneh bosem really was hemp, could this mean that the healing powers of Jesus’ anointing oil could be owed to cannabis? A growing number of people, including historians and scholars such as Chris Bennett, seem to think so.
Bennett has written extensively on this topic, noting that some ancient Gnostic texts also indicate that Jesus also adopted the burning of cannabis as incense in “complicated shamanic ceremonies”.
Some also insist that cannabis remained inherently linked to Christianity even after the crucifixion of Jesus, as his followers continued to use the anointing oils to heal the sick. As stated in James 5:14: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”
However, establishing the true ingredients in Jesus’s holy anointing oils is a practical impossibility. Furthermore, there are plenty of people who dismiss the theory as outright nonsense. Instead, they argue that Benet’s initial translation of kaneh bosem to cannabis is simply incorrect and that the true ingredient contained in Moses’s holy anointing oil (and so, probably also Jesus’s preparation) is calamus after all. But what is calamus?
Calamus or Cannabis?
Calamus, which may also be known as sweet flag, swat, or muskrat root, is a tall wetland plant that has been used in traditional medicine and the preparation of perfumes for thousands of years. It was mentioned in this context in the Chester Beatty papyrus VI which dates back to approximately 1300 B.C..
Interestingly, like cannabis, calamus contains psychoactive and intoxicating compounds and preparations of the plant have been used in the treatment of many ailments for millennia. However, it is also believed to be toxic, causing nausea and prolonged vomiting when consumed orally, though few clinical trials have assessed these effects.
The use of both calamus and cannabis throughout history – including during the life of Jesus – has now been proven with archaeological discoveries and scriptural references, perhaps we will never know for sure which one of these interesting plants was selected as an ingredient for Christ’s healing oil preparations.
As to the question of whether or not Jesus was a stoner? Well, while he would certainly have had access to cannabis and evidence suggests that the plant may have been used for medicinal and spiritual purposes during this period, we may never know for sure.
