In 2019, a team of international researchers conducted an analysis of fossil pollen studies to try to pinpoint the origin of the cannabis plant. For many years, fossil pollen studies lumped cannabis pollen together with pollen from the Humulus genus.

Their analysis concluded that the cannabis plant originated high on the Tibetan Plateau around 19.6 million years ago. However, a recent discovery is calling that conclusion into question, with a fossil found in the collection of the Berlin Natural History Museum pointing to a potentially different geographical origin, and one that is much older.

“The oldest cannabis plant in the world may not originate from China, but from Saxony-Anhalt. At least, a discovery from prehistoric times in the museum’s collection raises this question, according to a statement released Friday by the Museum of Natural History in Berlin. Researchers reportedly unearthed a “spectacular plant fossil” in the museum’s collection.” reported Stern.

“According to more recent age classifications, the fossil dates from the Lower Eocene period, approximately 56 to 48 million years ago, and is therefore significantly older than previously known fossils. The fossil was reportedly found near Eisleben in Saxony-Anhalt, which also calls into question the origin of the plant genus in Central Asia.” the outlet also wrote.

It is worth noting that a definitive identification has yet to be declared, so it is still possible that the fossil could prove to be something other than cannabis. The fossil’s visual similarities to cannabis are striking, although it could just be that the leaf imprint is of an extinct relative of cannabis. A deeper examination is reportedly underway.

The fossil that recently surfaced in the Museum of Natural History in Berlin was actually found nearly 150 years ago, and it was only recently reexamined. Only time will tell if the fossil proves to be the real deal, but it would be fitting that, as Germany’s legal cannabis industry continues to become an international powerhouse, scientists find out that the region is where the cannabis plant got its start.

The Museum of Natural History is one of Berlin’s most visited museums, attracting more than 700,000 visitors each year. The museum’s Palaeobotany Research Group focuses on fossil plants, paleoecosystems, and climate change.