The CBD industry is vast – and growing. This article will take a quick look back at some of the key moments in history that have influenced the rise of CBD – otherwise known as cannabidiol. CBD is a cannabis and hemp byproduct that has a minimal psychoactive impact on the human mind.
Pre-CBD Cannabis Use
The use of cannabis can be traced back thousands of years to ancient civilizations in Asia, including China and India. In China, the medicinal use of cannabis dates back to at least 2737 BC, when it was recommended for a range of conditions, including rheumatism, gout, and malaria. In India, cannabis has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, such as anxiety, pain, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Historical records also show that cannabis was used medicinally by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. In the Middle Ages, cannabis was used in Europe and the Middle East for pain relief, as a sedative, and to treat epilepsy.
First Paper On Cannabis As A Medical Aid
In 1839 William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, an Irish doctor working in imperial India, published a landmark paper on the potential benefits of cannabis. O’Shaughnessy conducted experiments and clinical trials on patients with various conditions, including rabies, cholera, and tetanus, and found that cannabis was an effective treatment for pain relief, muscle spasms, and seizures.
He also noted that cannabis could increase appetite and aid in digestion. O’Shaughnessy’s paper helped popularize the use of cannabis in Western medicine, and its use spread throughout Europe and North America in the following decades. Queen Victoria famously started using cannabis tinctures to help her through menstrual pains.
CBD Isolated
All of the products that are legal for use in various countries have been isolated as much as possible from any THC content. Supremecbd.uk, for instance, will not sell products that have a higher THC content than 0.02 percent in order to comply with UK law. CBD was first isolated by the American chemist Roger Adam in 1940.
CBD Synthesized
Dr. Raphael Mechoulam discovered how to synthesize – and therefore understand more fully – the chemical composition of cannabidiol in 1963. The Israeli chemist became a fierce advocate for further research into the potential benefits of CBD and made several other important contributions towards the understanding of how cannabis-derived compounds impact the human body and mind.
The CBD Boom
The 2010s saw the emergence of a CBD boom. Cheap, low-THC products began to be marketed toward people that would otherwise have never considered using cannabis-based products. In the US, for example, CBD was finally legalized via the Agriculture Improvement Act, which came into play in 2018 – as long as it came from hemp, of course. Additionally, the recent regulation of CBD products lends the industry increased credibility and ensures that CBD cannot be sold under false pretenses. Millions of people from all walks of life now use CBD products that have little to no psychoactive properties. Vapes, edibles, tinctures, and capsules are all commonly used for the ingestion of CBD.
