THE AFRICAN ROOT OF MARIJUANA: African American Plant Culture
Cobbed cannabis is a ancient technique originating from Africa to cure marijuana. After chopping the harvest and briefly drying, the still moist buds would be tightly wrapped in banana leaves and tied with twine. The cob’s are then buried to slowly cure over months (the cobs are sometimes placed inside goat skins or buried under manure to change flavor profiles).
The ancient curing process uses mostly sativa cannabis and is sometimes associated with Malawi Gold due to the abundance of farmers in that area using the technique. The resulting cob’s can change to a black color upon opening and sometimes refereed to as black magic or Malawi black.
“Hemp for smoking “diamba” Wrapped in leaves of banana. Smoke small leaves around the seed.” Angola, Africa July 25, 1890.
Hemp had been grown in the
USA for a long time but this had not led to an awareness of its psycho-active potential, at least in the white population. Enslaved Africans in America, however, knew of it from their experience of dagga back in Africa. Dagga is a term derived from a Khoikhoi word Dacha. Enslaved American Americans would secretly planet Marijuana with seeds they imported from Africa.
Duvall, Chris S. The African roots of marijuana. Duke University Press, 2019.
https://www.thecannachronicles.com/african-cobbed-cannabis…/
