Does it seem possible to anyone that maybe the missing link in evolution involves a group of primates who used cannabis regularly? Like maybe the use of cannabis led to the evolutions which differentiate us from them currently. Would that account for humans having THC receptors in their brain? If any of this makes sense, please let me know.
i doubt it.i don't think an ape would have been smart enough to bust it up, roll it in a leaf tightly, figure out how to make 1 edge of the leaf sticky, and discover fire all in the same day and then tell all his friends and they all start doing it
^ they probably just ate large amounts of it. no idea man, lack of info for me. what other animals have these receptors?
a lot of mammals, birds and reptiles have CB1 and CB2 receptors. specifics, i dunno. but we can get high with them
I read a Terrence McKenna book called Food of the Gods and he made a pretty convincing argument that early homonids ate magic mushrooms, and that the shrooms helped them evolve into humans. Psilocybin acts on the language centers of the brain and may have been the deciding factor which allowed people to speak abstractly (instead of just vocally communicating, the way other animals do). Basically, he thinks our ancestors ate shrooms, which made them develop deeper consciousness and spurred them to communicate with one another. Over time these features became more deeply ingrained in homonid society, and things like complex language, deep abstract thought, and appreciation for aesthetics became socially advantageous. Evolution began selecting for homonids who had the traits we now identify as "consciousness," which allowed that feature to evolve even though it was not necessary for survival in the traditional sense. It's a cool theory, although it's mostly speculation. It's possible that something similar happened among early marijuana users, but I think cannabis use only dates back to a couple thousand years ago so I don't know if that's long enough. Edit: I think the reason we have cannabinoid receptors is that our endocrine and nervous systems use cannabinoids as chemical messengers, and they are structurally similar to the ones found in plants. So we can activate those receptors ourselves by ingesting THC because it's close enough to the chemical the receptors were actually meant for. All I know is I'm glad they work.
Mckenna's mushroom theory is more likely than a cannabis related theory. I wouldn't say either is all that likely, but our evolution from our ape-like ancestors was such a strange phenomena that many theories can not be completely ruled out...
First of all, the term "missing link" is outdated and basically just wrong. Nothing's missing. We know exactly where we came from. Second, no. Drugs have absolutely nothing to do with evolution. They don't alter your genetic makeup in the subtle, gradual ways that cause evolution. They can cause certain types of "mutations" if a mother partakes while pregnant, but these are birth defects, and are never beneficial in any way.
Humans don't have THC receptors. The receptors more specifically referred to as anandamide. They are responsible for making you tired, hungry, etc. The chemical structure of THC is similar to Anandamides structure, thus it goes through your blood brain barrier and acts on it those receptors. Your conclusion is false.