Hemp Historical Snapshot
Humans have loved and used the cannabis plant for a long time. And it’s no surprise…it’s loaded with food, fuel, fiber and medicine What’s not to love?!
Here’s a snapshot:
*2700 BCE – hemp seeds and leaves were used in Traditional Chinese Medicine
*1550 BCE – The Ancient Egyptian Ebers Papyrus has a prescription for medical marijuana applied directly for inflammation.
*200 BCE – Hemp was commonly used in the production of paper.
*1900’s – Cannabis is listed in the American Materia Medica, used by the American Eclectic physicians and indeed it appeared in an advertisement for Cannabis Americana distributed by a pharmacist in New York City.
In the early 1900’s cannabis is commonly grown in some of the southern states in the U.S. including Kentucky. Hemp was so valuable in the founding of the country that all landowners were required to grow hemp particularly for its fiber and fuel. The first American flag is made out of hemp fiber.
And then…
In the 20th century things changed. The production of hemp slowly declined as tobacco and cotton became more profitable and ultimately synthetic fiber took over.
Eventually growing cannabis was banned in the United States with the “War on Drugs” and the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.
Thankfully, the laws and understanding of cannabis’ benefits, have slowly started to turn back some of these relatively recent laws and attitudes. More and more people are discovering the joys of incorporating cannabis products, including CBD.