Trove Of Cannabis Plants Found In Ancient Tomb In China 
 
 toggle caption Courtesy of Economic Botany 
 
 Researchers have unearthed 13 cannabis plants in an ancient tomb in northern China, suggesting that prehistoric central Eurasians had ritualistic or medicinal uses for the mind-altering plant. 
 
 In a recent paper published in Economic Botany, the scientists say that the "extraordinary cache" of 13 "nearly whole" female cannabis plants were arranged diagonally like a shroud over the body of a dead man. The man was about 35 years old, appeared to be Caucasian and might have been a shaman, they say. 
 
 In the tomb, the body was placed on a wooden bed with a "pillow made of common reeds," surrounded by earthenware pots. The plants measured between 19 and 35 inches, and carbon dating indicated that the cemetery is 2,800 to 2,400 years old. 
 
 toggle caption Courtesy of Economic Botany 
 
 "This is the first time ever that archaeologists have recovered complete cannabis plants, as well as the first incidence of their use as a 'shroud' or covering in a human burial," National Geographic quotes the study's lead author, Hongen Jiang, as saying. 
 
 This isn't the first time cannabis has been found at sites in Siberia and northwestern China, according to the researchers. The origins of those previous plants were not clear — they might have been transported from other areas. However, the researchers say that the way the plants were placed on this corpse means they were fresh at the time — suggesting that the marijuana was likely locally grown. 
 
 The tomb lies in northwest China's Turpan Basin, which was "an important stop on the Silk Road," according to the magazine. 
 
 It was found among 240 other tombs in the cemetery believed to belong to the Subeixi culture. As the study describes, the Subeixi people "led a pastoral life with only a small amount of cereal cultivation, but eventually developed a more balanced semi-pastoral and semi-agricultural society." 
 
 And the researchers say there's growing evidence that the Subeixi, along with other groups living in the area, used cannabis for ritualistic or medicinal purposes. Ten years ago, for example, scientists discovered "a large supply of processed female Cannabis flowers" in a nearby Yanghai cemetery. The plants were likely selected because of their "psychoactivity, possibly to facilitate communication between the human and spirit worlds and/or for its medicinal value." They say it could have also been placed "as an appetite stimulant." 
 
 Cannabis seeds were also recently discovered in a Siberian tomb of a woman who likely died of breast cancer and may have used cannabis to "cope with the symptoms of her illnesses," the researchers say. 
 
 And while the plant can be made into cloth or used for its "nutritious, oil-rich seeds," Jiang tells National Geographic that "no hemp textiles have been found in Turpan burials, and the seeds of the plants in the Jiayi burial are too small to serve as a practical food source." 
 
 The researchers conclude: "Apparently, medicinal and possibly spiritual or at least ritualistic Cannabis use was a widespread custom among Central Eurasian peoples during the first millennium before the Christian era." ||||| A British man has been stabbed to death during a drug-fuelled ceremony in the Peruvian Amazon. 
 
 Unais Gomes, 26, died while at a spiritual retreat after he consumed a hallucinogenic plant. 
 
 According to local police, witnesses said a Canadian man, 29-year old Joshua Andrew Freeman Stevens, stabbed Gomes in self-defence after he attacked him with a knife at Phoenix Ayahuasca, an alternative health centre. 
 
 A drink made from the Ayahuasca plant found in the Amazon (file photo) 
 
 The pair were taking part in an ayahuasca ceremony near the jungle city of Iquitos on Wednesday night. 
 
 Ayahuasca is a combination of an Amazonian vine and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and gives users psychedelic experiences when combined. 
 
 It is not normally associated with violence. 
 
 Gomes was killed the alternative health centre - which charges $1,200 for a 10 day retreat 
 
 A police source, who did not want to be named, said Gomes attacked Stevens during a bad trip but Stevens managed to turn the blade around - stabbing him in the chest and stomach. 
 
 The centre, which charges $1,200 (£803) for a 10-day retreat, is described on its Facebook page as a safe place to "experience plant medicines and explore the true nature of the self". 
 
 World's 10 deadliest street drugs 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 show all World's 10 deadliest street drugs 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1/10 10. Purple Drank One of the more unusual drugs around at the moment, purple drank was popularised in 90s hip hop culture, with the likes of Jay Z and Big Moe all mentioning it in their songs. It is a concoction of soda water, sweets and cold medicine, and is drunk due to cold medicines high codeine content, which gives the user a woozy feeling. However it can also cause respiratory issues and heart failure 
 
 2/10 9. Scopolamine Scopolamine is a derivative from the nightshade plant found in the Northern Indian region of South America (Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela). It is generally found in a refined powder form, but can also be found as a tea. The drug is more often used by criminals due its high toxicity level (one gram is believed to be able to kill up to 20 people) making it a strong poison. However, it is also believed that the drug is blown into the faces of unexpecting victims, later causing them to lose all sense of self-control and becoming incapable of forming memories during the time they are under the influence of the drug. This tactic has reportedly been used by gangs in Colombia where there have been reports of people using scopolamine as way to convince victims to rob their own homes 
 
 3/10 8. Heroin Founded in 1874 by C. R. Alder Wright, heroin is one of the world’s oldest drugs. Originally it was prescribed as a strong painkiller used to treat chronic pain and physical trauma. However in 1971 it was made illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Since then it has become one of the most destructive substances in the world, tearing apart communities and destroying families. The side effects of heroin include inflammation of the gums, cold sweats, a weak immune system, muscular weakness and insomnia. It can also damage blood vessels which can later cause gangrene if left untreated 
 
 4/10 7. Crack cocaine Crack cocaine first came about in the 1980’s when cocaine became a widespread commodity within the drug trafficking world. Originally cocaine would have attracted a high price tag due to its rarity and difficulty to produce, but once it became more widespread the price dropped significantly. This resulted in drug dealers forming their cocaine into rock like shapes by using baking soda as a way of distilling the powder down into rock form. People were doing this because it allowed for them to sell cocaine at a lower quantity and to a higher number of people. The side effects of crack cocaine include liver, kidney and lung damage, as well as permanent damage to blood vessels, which can often lead to heart attacks, strokes, and ultimately death 
 
 5/10 6. Crystal meth Not just famous because of a certain Walter H White, but also because it is one of the most destructive drugs in the world. First developed in 1887, it became widely used during the Second World War when both sides would give it to their troops to keep them awake. It is also believed that the Japanese gave it to their Kamikaze pilots before their suicide missions. After the war crystal meth was prescribed as a diet aid and remained legal until the 1970s. Since then it has fallen into the hands of Mexican gangs and has become a worldwide phenomenon, spreading throughout Europe and Asia. The effects of crystal meth are devastating. In the short-term users will become sleep depraved and anxious, and in the long-term it will cause their flesh to sink, as well as brain damage and damage of the blood vessels 
 
 6/10 5. AH-7921 AH-7921 is a synthetic opioid that was previously available to legally purchase online from vendors until it became a Class A in January 2015. The drug is believed to have 80% of the potency of morphine, and became known as the ‘legal heroin’. While there has only been one death related to AH-7921 in the UK, it is believed to be highly dangerous and capable of causing respiratory arrest and gangrene 
 
 7/10 4. Flakka Flakka is a stimulant with a similar chemical make-up to the amphetamine-like drug found in bath salts. While the drug was originally marketed as a legal high alternative to ecstasy, the effects are significantly different. The user will feel an elevated heart rate, enhanced emotions, and, if enough is digested, strong hallucinations. The drug can cause permanent psychological damage due to it affecting the mood regulating neurons that keep the mind’s serotonin and dopamine in check, as well as possibly causing heart failure 
 
 8/10 3. Bath salts Bath salts are a synthetic crystalline drug that is prevalent in the US. While they may sound harmless, they certainly aren’t the sort of salts you drop into a warm bath when having a relaxing night in, they are most similar to mephedrone, and have recently been featured throughout social media due to the ‘zombification’ of its. The name comes from the fact that the drug was originally sold online, and widely disguised as bath salts. The side effects include unusual psychiatric behaviour, psychosis, panic attacks and violent behaviour, as well as the possibility of a heart attack and an elevated body temperature 
 
 9/10 2. Whoonga Whoonga is a combination of antiretroviral drugs, used to treat HIV, and various cutting agents such as detergents and poisons. The drug is widely available in South Africa due to South Africa’s high rate of HIV sufferers, and is believed to be popular due to how cheap it is when compared to prescribed antiretrovirals. The drug is highly addictive and can cause major health issues such as internal bleeding, stomach ulcers and ultimately death Getty Images 
 
 10/10 1. Krokodil Krokodil is Russia’s secret addiction. It is believed that over one million Russians are addicted to the drug. Users of krokodil are attracted to the drug due to its low price; it is sold at £20 a gram while heroin is sold for £60. However, krokodil is considered more dangerous than heroin because it is often homemade, with ingredients including painkillers, iodine, lighter fluid and industrial cleaning agents. This chemical make-up makes the drug highly dangerous and likely to cause gangrene, and eventually rotting of the flesh 
 
 Ayahuasca tourism has boomed in Peru in recent years because of its reputation as a way to ease depression and other mental illnesses. 
 
 The plant is an important spiritual and medicinal tool for Amazonian tribes in Peru and Brazil. 
 
 In 2012, an 18-year-old American man, Kyle Nolan, died during an ayahuasca retreat and the shaman leading the ceremony, Jose Manuel Pineda Vargas, buried his body in an attempt to cover up the death. 
 
 Additional reporting by Reuters
– You probably wouldn't want to smoke the stuff, but archaeologists have discovered the most well-preserved cannabis plants one could hope for in an ancient Chinese burial. The first discovery of its kind comes from the grave of a man aged about 35—possibly a shaman, reports Discover—buried 2,400 to 2,800 years ago in Turpan, China, then a desert oasis along the Silk Road. Said to have Caucasian features, the body was found on a wooden bed with a reed pillow and an "extraordinary cache" of 13 cannabis plants placed diagonally across the chest, each almost 3 feet long, reports National Geographic. Archaeologists have found cannabis leaves and seeds in other ancient burials, but never whole plants. This is also the first time archaeologists have seen cannabis used as a burial shroud, study author Hongen Jiang explains in Economic Botany. A few flowering heads on the plants—all others had been cut off—held unripe fruit, suggesting the man was buried in late summer. Researchers believe the cannabis was also fresh, meaning it was grown locally. Why exactly was the Subeixi culture of Turpan growing cannabis? Researchers say they could have made hemp cloth or used the seeds for food. More likely, though, they extracted resin containing cannabinoids like THC from the plant's tiny "hairs" to use in medicine or in ritual, "possibly to facilitate communication between the human and spirit worlds," per NPR. (These burials aimed to ward off demons.)