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A brief history of marijuana and its medicinal effects

Modern science hopes to prove cannabis is better for us than we once thought.

Cannabis has been used medicinally by many cultures for millennia, but the 'war on drugs' prohibited its use. Changing perceptions have now led to fresh interest in this wonder weed.

Scientific research into the medicinal uses of cannabis has ramped up in recent years, as more governments move to decriminalise the drug.

We now know that the CBD element of cannabis has a host of therapeutic applications. The irony is that our predecessors had been using medicinal marijuana for at least 3,000 years.

Body of Evidence is a video series from BBC Future unravelling medical myths and curious health conditions.

Video script: Harish Suthi, from the Department of Science and Technology Studies, University College London.