A Brief History of CBD

With CBD being a newly occurring substance and piquing new interest every day, it is ironic that it is such an old age substance. Like other naturally occurring herbs, the usage of CBD has been rumoured to have been a huge part of ancient society with the first recorded use being around 2727 BC!

When Did We First Hear Of CBD?

In 2727 BC, Emperor Sheng Neng of China used a cannabis-based tea - it is rumoured that from this, its usage spread.

Fun Fact: It is said that Queen Victoria used Cannabis in the mid-1800s too!

1941

In 1941, Henry Ford presented a prototype Model- that was built entirely out of Hemp! The body was 10 x stronger than steel, and weighed a reported 300 pounds lighter than an equivalent steel car. To top it off, it also ran on Hemp fuel - so the whole thing was grown! Unfortunately, this never took off as Ford's investors were heavily involved in the steel and oil industries.

1960s

Due to the growing use of mind-altering drugs and psychedelics, the era that became home to the "hippie" culture also saw governments start to ban these substances. Marijuana was part of the cull, and unfortunately due to its association, Hemp was also banned too.

1970s

Following the War On Drugs and with the Controlled Substances Act, Marijuana become difficult for scientists, doctors and researchers to obtain to study further.

The Act separated drugs and substances into different ‘Schedules’ and the higher they ranked, the more restricted the substance was. Marijuana fell into Schedule 1 and was pushed back in the pharmaceutical industry. Many voiced the opinion that this was due to the fear of a natural substance competition to the standard treatments.

1978

This was a vital year in Cannabis history as it was the year that New Mexico became the first U.S. state to legally recognise Cannabis as a medicine. It remains a landmark case as it was the first to recognise the medical potential of the substance.

1988

The first discovery of the Endocannabinoid System within mammals occurred in the late 80s. This study continued on into the 1990s, when Lisa Matsuda successfully cloned receptors CB1 and CB2 to begin to fully explore the Endocannabinoid System and how it works.

1993

The UK legalises the cultivation of Hemp with a license, re-igniting the Hemp industry across the United Kingdom.

1996

Making a revolutionary step, California legalised Medical Marijuana in 1996 and paved the way for further research and public support.

Soon after, other states legalised it too – including Oregon, Alaska, Washington, Maine, Hawaii, Nevada and Colorado.

Today

As of today, the stigma of CBD is starting to disappear as the distinguishable features between Hemp and Marijuana are becoming common knowledge.

There are many places, such as the UK, that have legalised CBD as it has just 0.2% THC and therefore cannot get you ‘high’. Other countries still deem CBD as illegal.

If you want to try CBD, take a look at our range of Oil Drops, Isolates & Terpenes, Vape Liquids, Balms and Edibles. Let us know what you think about the past, present and future of CBD on social media via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.