Are you interested in using CBD? Perhaps you’ve come across CBD products on your travels or you’re intrigued by the benefits of CBD.
In recent years, CBD (cannabidiol) has exploded in popularity. It’s derived from the hemp plant, a type of cannabis plant. CBD won’t get you high: it’s not psychoactive like THC (THC is the compound in cannabis that has a mind-altering effect).
CBD might seem very modern, with a huge range of products now on the market. These include plenty of CBD oils, such as these 7 best CBD oil products for sleep, but also lots of more unusual products, including CBD oil treats for cats and dogs.
However, the beneficial properties of CBD have been known about for an incredibly long time.
CBD Has Been Used for Thousands of Years
One of the earliest known users of CBD was in 2737 BC, when the Emperor Shen Neng of China prescribed marijuana tea for a variety of ailments – including gout, rheumatism, malaria, and poor memory.
Marijuana was used as a medicine throughout Asia, the Middle East, parts of Africa, and in India. It was prescribed as a general painkiller, for earache, and even for childbirth.
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CBD Use in America
CBD came to America with Christopher Columbus, in the form of “rope of hemp” in 1492.
Cannabis was in widespread use for centuries. For instance, in 1619, Jamestown colony law stated that all settlers had to grow cannabis.
By the late 18th century, American medical journals recommended hemp seeds and roots to treat a range of conditions.
It wasn’t until the late 19th century that chemical substances began to be regulated in America. With the Marijuana Act of 1937, the possession and transfer of cannabis first became illegal in the USA.
Cannabis CBD Research
In 1839, some of the earliest research into cannabis as a medicine was published by William Brooke O’Shaughnessy. He gave cannabis to people and documented the effects, both medical and intoxicant.
Modern scientific research into cannabis started in the 1940s, when the British chemist Robert S. Cahn reported the structure of cannabinol (CDBN), closely followed by American chemist Roger Adams isolating the first cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD).
Initially, researchers weren’t sure which compound caused which effect. But in 1963-4, Dr Raphael Mechoulam made a breakthrough by identifying the stereochemistry of both CDB and THC.
In the 1980s, this led to Mechoulam and his team carrying out a study that showed that CBD could be highly effective against epilepsy.
Legalization of Marijuana in the USA
All this research paved the way for the eventual legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana. Within a few years, several other states did likewise.
Research continued, with CBD being considered for ailments including chronic pain, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases.
However, despite the distinction between CBD and THC being clear to medical and scientific communities, there was a lot of public opposition to the wider legalization of CBD.
In the 2000s, stories came out of the successful medical use of CBD. Then in 2010, the story of Charlotte Figi, a five year old with a very rare form of chronic epilepsy, was a striking success case. Regular treatment hadn’t helped, and she was having 300 seizures each week; with the use of CBD, there was a dramatic improvement.
Today, CBD is legal in many countries. More therapeutic benefits of CBD are being discovered – and the stigma once associated with it is fading.
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