Pliny the Elder, in his encyclopedic Naturalis Historia (77 AD), documented cannabis as a well-known plant with both industrial and medicinal applications. He described hemp cultivation for rope and textiles, and noted that cannabis seeds could 'dry up the generative seed' — an early observation of cannabis's effects on reproduction.

Galen, the most influential physician of the Roman world (2nd century AD), prescribed cannabis for a variety of ailments including earaches, inflammation, and flatulence. His medical writings shaped European medicine for over a millennium, and his cannabis prescriptions were followed by physicians well into the Renaissance.

Roman soldiers and traders carried cannabis throughout the empire — from Britain to Egypt, from Spain to Syria. Archaeological evidence of hemp cultivation has been found at Roman sites across Europe, demonstrating the plant's importance to the imperial economy.

Hemp was cultivated across the Roman Empire for fiber, rope, and sailcloth — essential materials for the Roman navy and merchant fleet. Major growing regions included Gaul (France), Hispania (Spain), and the eastern provinces.

Roman agricultural writers like Columella provided detailed instructions for hemp cultivation, demonstrating that it was a well-established crop.

Roman cannabis use was primarily medicinal — prepared as tinctures, poultices, and fumigations following the prescriptions of Galen and Dioscorides.

The Romans also used cannabis socially at banquets, where it was reportedly added to desserts and confections to promote laughter and enjoyment.

Cannabis was freely used throughout the Roman Empire. There were no known legal restrictions on its cultivation or consumption.

The fall of Rome did not end cannabis use in Europe, but the plant's psychoactive properties were gradually forgotten as the medieval Church promoted different medicines.