The cultivation and use of Cannabis in industry and medicine has not been unequivocal since its discovery. The Cannabis plant was allowed and forbidden, forgotten and rediscovered over the centuries and up to the present.

Most of the world’s cultivated hemp (Cannabis sativa) is a product of long-term human selection for fiber and seed production. The mixture of cannabinoids is not produced from hemp (Cannabis sativa)-hashish or marihuana. They have made it difficult to cultivate this plant because of the intoxicating properties of the relatives of Cannabis, putting all the valuable qualities of the Cannabis plant in the background, both in the medical and economic sectors.

If we are talking about the common family of the Cannabis plants, it is an ancient crop that comes from the Himalayas in Asia. The first documented medical use of Cannabis dates back to 2737 BC (even before), when Chinese emperor Sheng Nen used cannabis infusion tea to help with various ailments, including memory, malaria, rheumatism and gout. The Cannabis plants were also known to the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans and the mass use of cannabis dates back to that time. They used hemp to treat wounds and sores on their horses. For human health, dried Cannabis leaves were used to treat nosebleeds, and Cannabis seeds were used to get rid of tapeworms, Cannabis suppositories were used to reduce hemorrhoid pain, and so on. In the Middle East, they spread throughout the Islamic Empire through North Africa. Cannabis also has a long history of ritual use and is found in various cults around the world. Cannabis seeds suggest early ceremonies found by archaeologists in Altay Mountains, Kazakhstan. Around the turn of the millennium, the Cannabis resin used to intoxicate began to spread from the Persian world to the Arab world. The traces of the Cannabis plant were found in what is now territory of Europe in 2007 in the late Neolithic burial site dating back, which was attributed to the Becker culture (dated 2459-2203 BC in ancient Netherlands) and contains an unusually high concentration of pollen, archaeologists speculated that the person present may have been very ill for whom Cannabis had served as an analgesic. 16th-century Cannabis spread to the western hemisphere, where it was taken by the Spaniards to Chile for use as fiber. In North America, hemp was grown on many plantations using them for ropes, clothing and paper. By 1820, 80% of all textiles were made from hemp because no mechanism had yet been invented for the removal of cotton fibers. According to writings, Queen Victoria also used Cannabis extract to relieve menstrual cramps. In 1941 Henry Ford built a hemp car that ran on hemp fuel. Ford’s car wasn’t made entirely of hemp, it was one of the several plant ingredients in his 1941 bio-plastic Model T, and definitely the ingredient that made it lighter and tougher than steel.  The car drove on Cannabis ethanol. Ford was not supported because Cannabis cultivation in the United States was banned mainly because of intoxicating properties. Shortly thereafter, the United States was forced to return to Cannabis cultivation rather than hinder it; Cannabis was widely used during World War II to make uniforms, canvases and ropes.

All parts of the Cannabis plant have always been used: flowers, seeds, seed oil, leaves, stalk or its bark, root juice. Its seeds are used for animal feed, its fiber for hemp rope, and its oil as a vehicle for paint.

Today, hemp – its oil and seeds – are traditionally used in food: they are uniquely rich in essential amino acids; In Europe, they are widely used in the textile industry, both in the manufacture of various fabrics and ropes and cables, and in modern automotive, not only in interior covers, but also in bioplastics. Cannabis shove (the inner part of the plant, wood that makes up 70% of the plant) are used in the construction of eco-houses and are used as a natural heat-insulating material that makes a residential building healthy and “breathable”, as well as hemp seed oil is used to produce biodiesel, etc.

If we talk separately about the medical use of Cannabis, banning Cannabis for many decades may suggest that its therapeutic benefits are a recent discovery, but it is far from the truth.

Historically, Cannabis has served as a valuable therapeutic resource for various nations; however, in modern medical research, most medical professionals did not recognize the good qualities of the Cannabis plant due to a lack of scientific evidence.

Just in 1839, when an Irish doctor and medical researcher William B. O’Shaughnessy published a study investigating the therapeutic effects of the plant,  researchers began to consider the medical use of Cannabis.

In the 40s of the last century, American chemist Roger Adam wrote in history his first successfully isolated cannabinoid, Cannabidiol (CBD). His research is also on the detection of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

In the early stages of Cannabis research, scientists had limited knowledge of the structure of cannabinoids and only a partial understanding of the biological composition of herbs, and therefore early researchers could not accurately determine which compound produced which effect.

In the 1990s, the understanding of the structure of cannabinoids and the amazing endocannabinoid system in our body, a network of receptors that interacts with cannabinoids found in the Cannabis plant was developed. This led to the exploration of the potential of CBD in the treatment of various diseases, such as chronic pain, epilepsy and many neurodegenerative diseases, etc.

As the popularity of the Internet and social networks grew, an interesting phenomenon began to happen in the 2000s – people began sharing their personal experiences with CBD with others. The unique and moving stories of CBD-users revealed how CBD could give relief from conditions like anxiety, depression, insomnia, arthritis, fibromyalgia and more.

The genuine, organic nature of the stories and the openness of those to share their personal and vulnerable experiences for the purpose of helping others fueled a surge of awareness across the whole World. Although the perception of CBD has dramatically improved over the years, CBD is still not completely legal. Many people are still opposed to CBD and other Cannabis derivatives and their benefits.

Products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are in high demand throughout Europe. More and more suppliers are trying to meet customer demand across all product categories. In any case, these are CBD products with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content below 0.2 percent.

In Europe, CBD products are governed by different laws, both European and by the Government of each country.

Nowadays, CBD products are available in a variety of forms: oils, tinctures, sprays, lotions, foods, bath balls, gums, vapes and much more.

We hope CBD is here to stay because CBD can affect the lives of millions of people by improving the health and quality of life! You can include our GWEEPRODUCTS CBD oil into your daily routine and see how your well-being can improve.

This insight article may help you understand the rich history of this amazing plant, and more importantly, we hope it has inspired you to learn more, so look for more information in other themes.