Blog

Hemp tends to have a bit of a stigma attached to it because of past legislation and negative press. Because of how people associate this natural plant with cannabis and marijuana, many deem the plant unsafe to use. However, more and more positive stories are being shared around hemp and the benefits, and more places are legalizing it. Here, we will discuss the benefits of hemp, the history, drawbacks of using cannabis, and CBD.

Hemp: The Early Days

Hemp has a very interesting history in the UK, USA, and other countries all over the world. The earliest mention of hemp in the UK mentions Cambri Formosa. She was a Celtic princess who taught women to sew and weave with hemp in 373 BC. Some sources suggest hemp was brought to Britain from Asia at around 800 BC. Roman and Anglo-Saxon hemp findings in this country date back to 140 – 400 AD, while findings from various locations in the UK have been dated back to the early 12th century.

Hemp has been used in many ways over the years. In the early days, this included wide use in ships’ sails, rigging, ropes, sacks, and often even on the sailors’ clothes and uniforms. Hemp quickly became extremely valuable because of its many uses, and wars were fought over it. Thousands of jobs were created and supported because of how highly sought after hemp was.

Records exist for the use of hemp in the UK in WWI, however, it was soon outlawed in 1928, while during WWII, an order placed for it to be imported from the US went unfulfilled after it was mistakenly grouped with the psychoactive varieties of the Cannabis plant.

The American Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 dissuaded farmers from cultivating the plant. Following the end of the war, further prohibition occurred. Hemp was commonly confused with its psychoactive cousin and was often vilified in the media and in politics. Then, as the ‘war on drugs’ was started by President Nixon, hemp was outlawed in 1971 in the USA.

Since then, hemp has been re-legalised in the UK in 1993. It is still only legal in a handful of states in the USA despite the popularity of the industry in Canada. In many European nations, small markets for hemp do still exist. Hemp can and is still used for a number of things today, including paper, food, textiles, and cosmetics.

CBD

GW Pharma have created the first FDA approved drug, CBD, which has been created from extracts of cannabis. CBD, also known as cannabidiol,  is somewhat of a buzzword these days. Many people are using it to help with things like chronic pain in the form of oils, tinctures, vape liquid, and even gummies. It’s likely you even know somebody who is using or has used CBD, and has benefited from it in some way. There are different dosages and strengths to consider so that use can be for general health all the way up to chronic pain relief. GW Pharma created their drug to treat conditions such as epileptic syndromes, Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

While some may still be dubious about CBD and its uses, it’s worth noting that hemp is an all natural plant and has had numerous uses over the years. It has been grown all over the world for thousands of years and was once one of the most valuable commodities in the world.

The Negative Elements Of Cannabis

Now, although hemp is very different from the psychoactive cannabis, it’s worth touching on some of the negative elements of cannabis. Consuming too much cannabis can be correlated with a number of issues, including blockages in memory formation, and balance and coordination. Driving or operating machinery after taking cannabis is illegal for good reason. Consuming cannabis has also been linked with an increased risk of depression, increased feelings of anxiety and paranoia, and even psychosis. If cannabis is not used sensibly or by the right candidate, it could result in numerous mental health issues and even dependency. It could potentially make existing mental health issues worse.

That being said, if legalised and controlled, cannabis could potentially become a benefit to social social and the economic society. When used by the appropriate candidate in suitable amounts, cannabis can help us to feel good, control seizures, treat pain and disease, and more.

Many people swear by this plant as a natural way to treat their ailments, create cosmetics, and assist them in other areas of daily life!