Prehistoric cannabis in Germany? The discovery that intrigues scientists

An unexpected discovery at Museum für Naturkunde Berlin could change everything we thought we knew about the’early history of cannabis. While cataloguing a botanical and palaeontological collection, museum researchers came across a spectacular fossil: a leaf print preserved in fossilized mud, attributed to the genus Cannabis. Further analysis is now underway to confirm whether this is indeed the oldest known specimen of this plant.

The announcement, published by the museum on April 17, 2026, is already generating a great deal of interest. And with good reason: if the identification is validated, this leaf could push back the documented appearance of the Cannabis genus by tens of millions of years.

A fossil potentially 56 million years old

The specimen in question is not new. It was described as early as 1883 by the scientist Paul Friedrich, under the name of Cannabis oligocaenica. However, this name is misleading. Contrary to the Oligocene reference, more recent dating would place the fossil in the Lower Eocene, at around 56 to 48 million years.

This chronology changes everything. Until now, the earliest evidence of cannabis was based mainly on pollen analysis, dating from the Miocene, about 20 million years. These data generally support the idea that the species Cannabis sativa is thought to have originated in northwest China, a region still considered to be its historic natural habitat.

At the same time, estimates based on the genetics of modern plants suggest that the Cannabis genus may date back to around 28 million years. The Berlin fossil, if confirmed, would far exceed these estimates.

The fossil comes from the area around Eisleben, Germany. Saxony-Anhalt, in the heart of present-day Germany. This detail could call into question a widely established consensus: that of a strictly Central Asian origin of cannabis.

The idea that the ancestors of Cannabis could have thrived in Central Europe at such an early date opens up new insights into plant migration and the evolution of the continent's ecosystems.

The museum points out, however, that a definitive identification is not yet possible. The morphology of the imprint is surprisingly similar to that of modern leaves, with a characteristic lanceolate, serrated shape. But certain key elements are missing.

Clues... but no absolute proof yet

One of the major problems is the absence of microscopic structures such as trichomes. These resin glands are essential in modern plants, as they produce THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a molecule playing a defensive role against predators.

Without these markers, attribution to the genus Cannabis remains fragile, even if the visual resemblance is striking. Researchers therefore need to investigate further to rule out any confusion with closely related species belonging to the Cannabis family. Cannabaceae, which also includes hops.

Nevertheless, the museum raises an intriguing hypothesis: if this plant did indeed grow in Europe in the Eocene, it could have been part of the natural landscape long before the appearance of human societies.