Cincinnati Edition: UC botanist discusses cannabis

WVXU's "Cincinnati Edition" examined the growth of medical marijuana in Ohio as Cincinnati prepares to host a symposium on the subject on Saturday, May 11, at the Lloyd Library and Museum.

University of Cincinnati biology professor and department head Theresa Culley teaches a class on medical botany. She told WVXU that many states have seen a growing acceptance of cannabis and byproducts such as hemp.

“Cannabis has been around and tied to civilization for tens of thousands of years,” Culley told WVXU. “The political climate has been shifting rapidly in Ohio in terms of accepting the use of medical marijuana. A lot of people are perking up and taking notice and wanting to learn more.”

The Lloyd Library will host a symposium Saturday, May 11, on the history, politics and uses of cannabis over the centuries. Culley will give a presentation on its ethnobotanical and medicinal uses by indigenous peoples in the New World.

Culley said hemp was an important fiber, particularly in maritime industries. The Spanish Armada and British Navy used hemp for sails and ropes.

The symposium also will address Ohio's medicinal marijuana supply chain and the history of cannabis in pain management.

Meanwhile, the Lloyd Library is presenting an exhibit titled "Through the Rx Bottle," which explores the medicinal uses of cannabis before its federal ban in 1937. The exhibit is presented in conjunction with the Cannabis Museum in Athens, Ohio.

UC's Herbarium is home to a vast collection of plants from the Lloyd collection.

Featured image at top: Cannabis. Photo/Wikimedia Commons