# Is medical cannabis a new class of medication?

The use of cannabis in medicine dates back more than 5,000 years, and in Norway, doctors could legally prescribe it until as recently as 1965.

The plant likely originated in Asia but spread early to much of the world. Traces of its use in Norway go back to the Viking Age. One of the women buried in the Oseberg ship was found with a leather pouch containing cannabis seeds in her grave. According to Ellen Marie Næss, a university lecturer at the Museum of Cultural History, these seeds may have been used for pain relief—or to help communicate with the gods. The fibers of the cannabis plant were also put to practical use, such as making ropes, clothing, and sails.

Hemp cultivation was widespread in Norway until the early 20th century. The fibers were used to produce textiles, ropes, and clothing, while the seeds were eaten by people, birds, and livestock or pressed into oil. Then came the "war on drugs," and overnight, growing hemp became illegal—despite the plant having been part of Norwegian agriculture and folk medicine for centuries.

Medical use was also halted. Until 1965, Norwegian doctors could prescribe cannabis tinctures for conditions like pain, rheumatism, and insomnia, with patients picking up their medication at pharmacies—completely legally. But with the new drug policies, this too was banned. The decision went against the wishes of medical professionals and put an end to all medical cannabis prescriptions in Norway. Doctors risked fines and losing their licenses if they continued writing prescriptions. The drug class was removed from the Norwegian Pharmaceutical Handbook and eventually faded from memory.

Today, patients still suffer from the abrupt policy shift of the 1960s. While neighboring countries have begun embracing medical cannabis for various conditions, Norway lags behind—not due to a lack of evidence, but because the knowledge, will, and courage to change the system remain insufficient. Stigma and prejudice continue to block access for patients in need of relief.
