International Journal of Molecular Evolution and Biodiversity, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 51-63 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmeb 56 the Silk Road, served as a major conduit for the movement of cannabis and other domesticated plants and animals. This facilitated the exchange of cannabis between different regions, contributing to its widespread cultivation and use. Figure 2 Pleistocene (upper panel) and Holocene (lower panel) European pollen records consistent with Cannabis, according to the assemblage identification approach (Adopted from Rull, 2021b) Image caption: In the Pleistocene panel, post-glacial ages have been differentiated from the rest of late Pleistocene ages; PHA is the precursor of the European cannabis according to Clarke and Merlin (2013); Ages in million years before present (bold numbers) and in thousand years before present (normal numbers) (Adopted from Rull, 2021b) In the modern era, the globalization of cannabis cultivation has been driven by the industrial utility of hemp and the recreational use of cannabis. The counter-culture movements of the 1960s and 1970s led to increased global demand for cannabis, prompting countries like Morocco and Mexico to become large-scale producers and major suppliers to European and American markets (Decorte and Potter, 2015). This period also saw the decentralization of cannabis production, with cultivation spreading to almost every country around the world. The development of traditional landrace varieties, resulting from a combination of natural and farmer selection, further diversified cannabis cultivars as the plant spread to different regions with varying climatic and cultural conditions (Clarke and Merlin, 2016). The genetic diversity of cannabis has been shaped by these factors, with distinct phylogeographic structures observed in different regions (Zhang et al., 2018).
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