In the 16th–19th centuries, hemp was a strategically important raw material of colonial empires – for sails, ropes and paper. At the same time, cannabis as a recreational substance was increasingly criminalised in the colonies.
## Hemp as the Foundation of Colonial Sea Power
The European maritime nations – Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, England and France – owed their naval expansion in no small part to an inconspicuous plant: Cannabis sativa in its fibre-rich hemp form. In the Age of Discovery (15th–17th centuries), hemp ropes and hemp sails were literally indispensable. A single Royal Navy ship of the line in the 18th century required up to 60 tonnes of hemp fibre – for rigging, sailcloth, caulking and tackle.
### The Hemp Belt: Russia as Primary Supplier
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Britain imported over 90% of its industrial hemp from Russia. The regions around Riga, Arkhangelsk and St Petersburg became the world's leading hemp export centres. When Napoleon in 1807 (Treaty of Tilsit) forced Russia to join the Continental System blocking British trade, one of the main sticking points was precisely this hemp trade.
## Cannabis as a Recreational Substance in the Colonies
Alongside hemp cultivation, Europe encountered a vibrant tradition of cannabis consumption in the colonies – a tradition it actively suppressed.
### India and the British Raj
The 1893/94 Indian Hemp Drugs Commission – one of the most thorough investigations into cannabis ever conducted – concluded after extensive hearings that moderate cannabis use was little more harmful than alcohol and that prohibition would be disproportionate and counterproductive. Nevertheless, cannabis remained more tightly regulated under British rule.
### Africa and the Origins of Global Prohibition
South Africa was the first African country to have cannabis placed on the League of Nations' prohibited substances list in 1923 – a step that significantly advanced global prohibition. The colonial framing of cannabis as a danger associated with migrant mine workers reveals the social control motives behind early prohibition.
## Conclusion: Colonial Contradiction
The colonial history of cannabis is marked by a fundamental contradiction: hemp as an industrial crop was actively promoted and economically indispensable. Cannabis as a recreational substance of colonised populations was criminalised – often not for medical reasons, but from motives of social control, racism and economic competition. This legacy continues to shape international drug policy today.
About this article
Written and reviewed by the BlattWerk e.V. editorial team — licensed cultivation association in Hildesheim. Our articles are based on current legislation, scientific publications and our practical experience as a Cannabis Social Club.
Last updated: 2026-06-17 · Found an error or something missing? Let us know
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