Not just for smoking: The strangest uses for cannabis

Calls to legalise cannabis are slowly being answered as more countries and US states start allowing the legal sale and consumption of the drug, though Uruguay is still the only country where marijuana is an entirely legal product. As legalisation becomes more possible to more countries, the uses of cannabis as not just a recreational drug as starting to come further to the front.

Of course, not all of these uses are entirely expected... here are some of the strangest things cannabis can be used for:

Parachutes

During the second world war, hemp was so needed that the US government issued a film called Hemp for Victory, encouraging farmers to grow more. Farmers were even given the seeds. As other resources became more and more scarce, hemp became a go-to material for parachutes. Hemp for Victory was in 1942 – 375,000 acres of hemp had been harvested by 1943.

Medicine

Most people have heard of the medical properties of cannabis, this is a less shocking addition to the list – a number of states have even moved to legalise cannabis for medicinal use before recreational use. Cannabis's medicinal uses have been thought to help in health problems like glaucoma, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, amongst others.

Sick pets

Medical marijuana doesn't seem to just be for humans. People have reported being able to alleviate the suffering of ill pets by getting them to ingest small amount of the drug. Cannabis is thought to help against nausea and help people and pets regain their appetite.

Vaginal suppositories

You read that right. Tampon shaped vaginal suppositories with cannabis inside are hitting the US market soon as a way to help women with menstrual pains – the cannabis's properties are thought to relax muscles around the uterus, cervix and the ovaries alleviating cramps and pain. Unfortunately, the product is not recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration and several medical practitioners have disputed claims made by the company.

Moving the Easter Island heads

Oh yes, in 2012 archaeologists proved that the giant stone heads all around Easter Island could have been moved using just three ropes made from hemp. A team of 18 managed to use the ropes to make one of the heads 'walk', showing it to be a possible method used to move the great creations.

Lighting lanterns

Hemp oil was a pretty popular burning oil for lamps before, you know, electricity. Supposedly, the oil burns fairly smoothly and regularly, making it perfect for lighting your way down a dark Victorian alley way. It should be noted that hemp and marijuana are essentially the same thing, the same plant, but diverge on how they have been cultivated – where hemp cultivation has focused on the fibrous properties useful for making rope and clothing; while marijuana cultivation has focused on the, shall we say, more calming properties.