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If you're interested in CBD, you're interested in hemp. So we thought some of you might want to know a little about the history of cannabis! So we've put together a condensed version of this long epic. Happy reading!
The history of cannabis goes back to prehistoric times!
Hemp is thought to have originated in Asia. Near the Himalayas, in the Indian foothills for some. More to the south of Russian Siberia for others. Or somewhere along China's Yellow River. No one really knows...
One thing's for sure: archaeologists have dusted hemp leaves painted on ceramics dating back to 8000 BC!
Hemp has been consumed at least since Neolithic times. Excavations in Japan and Eastern Europe even suggest that prehistoric man had already domesticated hemp, more than 12,000 years ago.
It's a fact: cannabis is one of mankind's best leafy friends.
Whether this affinity is due to the nutritional richness of its seeds, the strength of its fibers or the psychotropic properties of its flowers is unclear... What is known is that the peoples who cultivated hemp were quick to spread its use throughout Eurasia.
Cannabis conquers the world
The great civilizations of antiquity did not fail to explore the therapeutic potential of cannabis. Use of the plant for medical purposes dates back to 1500 BC.
- Hemp's anti-inflammatory properties are mentioned in the Ebers papyrus, the oldest manifesto of Egyptian medicine.
- In Chinese medicine, in the Shennong bencao jing treatise, cannabis is listed among the substances capable of lightening the body and making it immortal.
- In Greece, cannabis is described in De Materia Medica, again mentioning its anti-inflammatory properties.
Nomadic peoples, particularly the Scythians, helped to spread the use of hemp even further. Since they didn't farm, they used its strong fibers to make clothes and tents.
However, several excavations suggest that they didn't fail to pack a few cannabis flowers with them! According to some historians, these cavalry explorers organized steam baths using burnt cannabis flowers ...
Further proof that mankind has known about the psychotropic effects of cannabis for a very long time: the world's oldest pipe, discovered in Bavaria and dated 1500 BC, contains traces of charred hemp seeds.
Expansion of hemp cultivation
Hemp isn't a fussy plant; it likes sunshine, nitrogen-rich soil and modest water requirements. However, the Romans refined its cultivation. In particular, they took an interest in the different varieties, established the ideal sowing date and optimized harvesting techniques .
Building on its know-how, the Roman Empire promoted and spread cannabis farming.
This is how cannabis arrived in Gaul. From the 2nd century onwards, it was carefully cultivated. Mostly for textile use. But there was also some experimentation...Cannabis to replace hops in beer? What a brilliant idea, isn't it?
Hemp was still grown in the Middle Ages. In large quantities, all over France. This was Charlemagne's decision, based on his conviction that hemp was a strategic commodity, a guarantee of prosperity.
And he was right! Not only is hemp widely used in the manufacture of sails and ropes, it's also one of the main ingredients in the production of paper!
But during the Renaissance, the Church demonized cannabis. Its therapeutic use was severely marginalized, but cultivation remained intense. And this continued for centuries to come, thanks in particular to the growth of international maritime trade.
An average ship needed 60 to 80 tons of hemp processed into rope and 6 to 8 tons processed into sail per year. It's an understatement to say that hemp was a lucrative business in those days! And it would remain so well into the modern era, before the advent of synthetic materials like nylon.
Cannabis today: towards renewed legitimacy?
During the 19th century, the use of hemp became commonplace. It can be found in tincture form in pharmacies , and cigar-makers freely sell cannabis cigarettes.
But this period was short-lived: by the early 1900s, cannabis had been relegated to the status of a drug among illicit substances...
Despite this, and perhaps even because of its prohibitive nature, cannabis became very popular. In the United States, it reached artistic circles and established itself as a symbol of protest against bourgeois society.
It's the '60s and the beginning of the hippie movement. It was also the beginning of the first scientific research on hemp. Dr. Raphael Mechoulam isolates and identifies the THC molecule and, a few years later, the CBD molecule.
Although this discovery is truly decisive, it will be some time before the international scientific community really takes an interest in cannabis and its virtues. This is rather strange, especially when you consider that opium derivatives are already used in numerous treatments ...
In short, one thing is certain: the discovery of CBD marks a real turning point in the history of cannabis. And if you're interested in the rest, we invite you to read: the short history of CBD!
