Middle Eastern culture was very advanced until the war cult of Islam took over. Some of the most advanced civilizations in history thrived there for thousands of years with cannabis. Then all innovation stopped under Islam so I would say that is the more likely cause.
The Chinese and Indians have used Cannabis for even longer than middle easterners. It was common in China until the communists and remains defacto legal in India today.
Cannabis always was and remains very popular with middle Eastern Jews. It is defacto legal in modern Israel and people smoke openly in the streets and hookah bars.
All weird areas, all inward looking and stoner like, not anything like Western man.