Hemp is a cannabis plant that closely relates to marijuana. The two belong to the same species but vary a lot in composition. Generally, cannabis plants consist of more than 100 compounds. The two most popular are Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
THC is the substance that causes a high effect after consuming marijuana. However, CBD does not cause the sensation and has several medicinal properties. A significant difference between hemp and marijuana is the concentration of the two compounds. Marijuana has high THC content. On the other hand, CBD is dominant in the hemp plant.
Due to the variation, the regulations are less stringent for hemp. It is a source of oil that is increasingly becoming popular globally. Other than oil, all the different parts of the plant are utilizable. Stalks are sources of one of the most potent natural fibers in the world.
Hemp History: Ancient Times
The utilization of hemp is traceable to the stone age period. Some impressions present in China and Taiwan are over 10,000 years old. The first clear indication of using the plant with the discovery of cord traces on ancient pottery remains from the two places.
Besides, there have been discoveries of hemp cloth from the areas around Iraq, formerly known as Mesopotamia. The wide dispersal indicates two critical things. There is a high chance that it was the first fiber crop. Secondly, it must have been a crucial commodity in the ancient forms of pan-continental trade.
Between 2000 and 800 BCE, the plants appear to move to India on the southern side. It is evident through the recognition of the five sacred plants of ancient India. The plant might have moved to ancient Egypt, which is apparent through the discovery of hemp cloth in Pharaoh’s tomb.
The Greek Historians began to note the plant’s medicinal value around 200 BCE. Between the period and year 500, the Chinese introduced the first paper to the world with hemp as the raw material. By 300, people had adopted hemp paper for scripting information from sacred texts to medical journals.
The spread to the Eurasian landmass happens between 500-1000. People begin to use hemp rope and cordage in several parts of the world, including Greece, Russia, Britain, and Spain. Afterward, Muslim migrants took the plant to sub-Saharan Africa.
Hemp History in the Modern Era
The rigging of ships using hemp fibers is notable around 1492 as Christopher Columbus searched for an express sea path from Spain to Asia. However, it was only between 1606 and 1616 that the crop flourished in the first Americas permanent English dwelling, Jamestown. By 1800, farmers could legally grow hemp in all the colonies as a staple crop.
In 1850, there were around 8,400 hemp plantations in the United States, each consisting of at least 2,000 acres.
Hemp in the 20th Century
In 1916, the Agriculture Department in the United States found that hemp could produce pulp four times more than traditional sources. However, 1937 became a turning point due to the passing of the Marihuana Tax Act by Congress. All cannabis plants, including hemp, became subject to heavy taxation, significantly reducing production scale due to cost.
In 1970, the passing of the Controlled Substances Act did another harm to industrial hemp. It was put in the same category as heroin, a Schedule I drug. However, the omnibus Farm Bill of 2014 ignited hope for resuming hemp cultivation. Four years later, Congress tabled discussions on new measures to lift federal restrictions on the plant.
Most developed countries globally, including China, Britain, Australia, Spain, France, and Russia, are the leading industrial hemp producers. The US is exceptional in that specific regulations restrict crop cultivation. However, there is cultivation in several states, such as Hawaii, Montana, and West Virginia. France is the largest producer in Europe. The United Kingdom and Canada are also competitors after resuming cultivation in the 1990s. In Asia, China leads as the Philippines and Japan follow closely.
Hemp’s history dates back to the stone age, but its association with marijuana has done the plant a disservice.