What is the history of CBD?
Cannabis has been known all over the world for thousands of years. During the past centuries, people all over the world seemed to know the use of this plant and its therapeutic effects. The knowledge of this plant did not stop at this stage, since some people also used cannabis (hemp) as a raw material for textiles
It is mentioned in ancient texts that CBD, or rather, cannabis has been used since 2300 BC. More precisely, the use of cannabis or hemp, depending on the name, is explained in the book Shu Kingwhich is of course a very popular book in China
In this book, it is shown that the use of hemp was intended for the use of solid fibers used in the manufacture of clothing or ropes. But it doesn't stop there, because the people who lived in this part of the world also used hemp as a medicine to cure certain ailments. In 1000 BC, they were still using hemp, as excavations in ancient burial chambers have shown traces of hemp
According to some archaeologists, cannabis was even used about 10,000 years before Christ in China ! But this remains a suggestion, although some archaeological excavations have shown conclusive results.
Even more surprisingly, cannabis also seemed to be used by the Egyptians, who knew perfectly well the different uses and properties of this plant. Indeed, they used cannabis to make ropes, paper and fabrics, thanks to its greater resistance to the damage of time and weight or any other risk factor. But the medical use was also known by this ancient people and more precisely around the year 2000 B.C., since they used cannabis to cure their inflammations or various ailments
At the time of the Amerindian or African conquests, hemp was mainly used for ropes and sails of ships. Sailors knew that the wind at sea was very capricious and the ropes and sails of their ships were made of 90% hemp, which is very resistant. For example, the famous navigator Jacques Cartier, who officially discovered Canada in 1535, although there are some suspicions that it was nomadic peoples, such as the famous Vikings, who originally grew hemp
Since then, at present, CBD comes in different variations, as resins, flowers and mode of consumption also vary according to the needs of users or their desires. The most famous of them is the cannabis joint and we will see its history over the years.
The history of the cannabis joint
This popular form of cannabis consumption among recreational smokers and young people in particular has been famous all over the world for hundreds of years
The first written record of the cannabis joint dates back to 1850 in Mexico when a pharmacist at the University of Guadalajara discovered that farm workers were mixing tobacco and cannabis in their cigarettes. But a chain of circumstances propelled the popularity of this mode of consumption throughout the country.
Indeed, the same year, a publication available in "The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal" suggests a treatment to treat respiratory problems by mixing cannabis with different products such as belladonna by affirming that this one makes it possible to space and limit the asthma attacks
The jazz movement
In the United States, especially in the 1920s with the massive influx of alcohol from neighbouring countries and the popularity of jazz, people often got together to enjoy musical and alcoholic parties. However, this hobby greatly increases the use of cannabis in these festive places. But the consumers are not the only ones responsible for this popularity, as jazzmen also consumed cannabis in public with their famous "jazz cigarettes". This attitude greatly increased the popularity of the cannabis joint among partygoers and people passing by on the street who could see every move
It is also important to know that at that time cannabis was subject to different regulations and was not specifically prohibited, which greatly increased consumption. In 1960, when cannabis was banned because it was considered too dangerous for consumers, the most popular movement of the last few years was the hippie movement, which allowed many people to increase their popularity.
The hippie movement increases the popularity of cannabis
The hippie movement that took place in the 1960s and continued long afterwards has increased the popularity of this form of consumption. Perceived as a liberating movement, it was on the fringes of society, and being on the fringes of society also meant defying the prohibitions. Among these prohibitions, cannabis was very present and many people adhering to this movement consumed it regularly, at gatherings or in private
The panoply of accessories for smokers also comes from this movement, such as jewellery and accessories to hide their products. It is possible to compare this movement to a big family gathered for one and the same thing, freedom
Of course, to roll their joints, consumers needed rolling papers, which themselves contain a story of their own
Rolling papers accelerated the process?
Every smoker buys a specific brand of rolling papers. It is important to note that the majority of them were created when smoking tobacco was first introduced, such as the OCB brand. However, many of them have diversified with the arrival of cannabis joints around the world
We all know the slim leaves, which are obviously longer in order to contain more material. These leaves are especially intended for the consumption of cannabis joints, which has been growing in popularity throughout the 1900s
But several brands have diversified into the manufacture and marketing of cannabis-based slim rolling papers. In other words, consumers buy rolling papers that already have cannabis on them, and add cannabis in the form of weed or resin in order to consume. This increases the taste and effects for the consumer
In spite of the prohibitions and the reluctance of the population to use this plant, which attracts as much as it disgusts, we will see why the old populations used it regularly and for what purpose
Let's not forget that the consumption of cannabis for recreational use is totally forbidden in France and that you are exposed to heavy sanctions.
A better understanding of CBD?
It is quite amazing to see that ancient people knew the use of this plant and its benefits while growing it freely, so that today, this plant is subject to various doubts and great reluctance
For that, it is necessary to understand that the mentalities and the knowledge were not the same at that time. The medicinal and technological advances were not the same and who says medical advance, also says that certain questions which had not been asked before can appear
The understanding of the human body was also very different from what we know today. Let's take the example of the Middle Ages, which is a period where research advanced at a tremendous speed because of the various wars, such as the Hundred Years War, which opposed the French and the English. During this period, the human body was not the subject of much debate, and few people were interested in it
However, doctors knew that the body was made up of organs, in which there was fluid that was called 'mood', such as saliva, sweat or blood. The more and the better the liquids were present, the more fit the individual felt, or at least should feel fit. We can also take the example of bloodletting, which consisted in "purging" oneself of all diseases by renewing one's blood
However, hemp was also very present during this period and many uses were made of it. Even Charlemagne was aware of this plant and therefore authorized an increase in the production of this plant in France.
The lack of information about the body and its interactions with certain products or ingredients made it easier to accept the use of certain materials or products for medicinal purposes
Today, CBD is more and more recognized and seems to be more and more accepted by the general population. We will see the chronology of CBD, from its discovery, to today.
The chronology of CBD until today
Today, the issue of CBD is quite different depending on people, laws and countries. It should be noted that the molecule was only discovered in 1940, thanks to a team of scientists from the University of Illinois who managed to isolate the molecule while claiming that it was toxic to health
During the following years, CBD will undergo some improvements with scientists and the medical world.
Discover the CBD lexicon.
1960, the first scientific research
However, for about twenty years, nothing more will be published, studied and analyzed on this molecule, leaving it in the dustbin until 1963, when a scientist, named Raphael Mechoulam who is a researcher at the Hebrew University begins to catch up
He succeeded in finding the composition of this molecule ( Carbon 21 Hydrogen 30 Oxygen 2 ), which represents a great advance in the understanding of it, then, with his team, he succeeded in isolating THC the following year. By doing this, the team of this researcher succeeds in demonstrating the existence of the two main molecules of cannabis, which will greatly accentuate the research to come and the various therapeutic stages.
The first therapeutic studies of CBD are launched
From the 1970s, CBD takes a meteoric rise, since the first therapeutic studies are launched and will greatly help the understanding of this molecule and its use by ancient civilizations
This is how researchers realized that CBD could calm convulsions linked to epileptic seizures in animals. However, the competition is launched and this also allows to make different discoveries on its beneficial action
For example, four years after this discovery, another team proves that CBD can act as an anxiolytic, that is to say, it can fight against anxiety. Is this going too fast for you?
Just a few years after this discovery, another team shows that CBD can calm nausea related to chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients
In the space of only a decade, different teams of researchers have removed certain doubts about this molecule by demonstrating its health benefits
The first CBD-based treatments
Previous discoveries have accelerated the understanding of this molecule on animals, and then on humans. The researcher Raphael Mechoulam collaborates with a team from Sao Paulo in 1980 to demonstrate the beneficial effects on the human body and the health of individuals and this collaboration is a success
It is in 1988 that CBD begins to know its hours of glory, following the discovery of the endocannabinoid system in the human body and the various results that begin to seduce the medical and scientific world
Several discoveries related to CBD and the human body followed, such as for Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, where CBD will help the patient by limiting the degeneration of neurons.
Subsequently, this molecule will become legal in various states in theUnited States and the first CBD-based treatments are coming on the market for people suffering from various ailments related to different diseases
In the continuity of CBD
Following these discoveries and the launch of several CBD-based treatments, the scientific world continues to be interested in this "miracle molecule". At the beginning of the second millennium, scientists demonstrated that CBD could relieve patients suffering from schizophrenia or cardiovascular diseases
But more recently, studies have shown that CBD is effective in the treatment of cancer by limiting the production of cancer cells and this discovery is a real plus for people suffering from these diseases
Studies have also been launched on animals to see if any results apply. It has been shown that CBD could soothe certain ailments such as pain or stomach problems. We offer cBD products for animals on our site
Thus, in France, a project was launched for 2021 concerning the treatment of certain cancerous pathologies based on CBD. It remains to see the results on voluntary patients, but hope is high.
However, in France, the subject of CBD is linked to many controversies and it is important to understand the reasons for this situation.
CBD in France, a complicated story?
France, the country of our childhood and our life with all its setbacks and political advances. It should be noted that CBD and France, it is not a great love story, even if for a few years, very little, to tell the truth, France begins to accept this molecule
Having long demonized CBD because of its direct provenance which is cannabis and the amalgam exercised with CBD and THC, France is beginning to open its eyes to the benefits of this molecule. It should be noted that the European Union has authorized the marketing of this molecule for several years, but in Europe, each country authorizes its marketing or not
France has been a good pupil in this first parenthesis, since it has authorized some hemp producers to produce this plant on one condition, that it does not exceed 0.2% THC and that THC is not present in the final product
This advance has allowed the CBD market and ambitious entrepreneurs, to enter the market by starting to open physical or online shops. However, some merchants were overly ambitious and offered products that were not compliant and had a THC content of more than 0.2% or even 1%. It is also possible to find medicines containing CBD in their composition, such as Sativex, which is prescribed for people with multiple sclerosis
France judged by the European Union
As we said above, France had been a good student for the marketing of CBD at first, but while carrying bans on the same product
In November 2020, the knife fell, as the European Union deemed the ban on CBD in France illegal. As arguments, the European Union states that CBD is not a narcotic, and should not be considered dangerous in view of the benefits provided by this molecule
It also commented on the lack of understanding of French politicians about the recognized and very serious scientific studies on CBD showing all its benefits and the different types of uses or functioning
It is important to understand that in France, several types of CBD products are illegal, although they do not represent any danger in the strict sense of the word, but in the eyes of the law, they can cause problems
However, in some European countries, CBD is much more popular and recognized. What are the consequences and what are the causes?
Towards a better understanding of CBD in Europe?
The latest events suggest that CBD is beginning to have a more present and tolerated future in Europe and France in the coming years. Several European countries are also well ahead of France on the issue of CBD
For example, in Switzerland, CBD is allowed since 2011 and must not exceed 1% THC. If we take Germany as an example, CBD has been allowed in medical form there since 2017 and this market also represents the largest market in Europe
It is possible to think that CBD will become legal in all European countries, but some mentalities will have to be changed first, or exact proof of these benefits will have to be brought on more subjects
Nevertheless, there are several signs that CBD is becoming better understood and accepted by some leaders in Europe. For example, claiming loudly that CBD is not a drug, is helping to change some minds on this issue. Moreover, judging the French ban on CBD as illegal also seems to be able to change people's opinions on this molecule and to realize, finally, that it is very promising for certain pathologies
As such, CBD can be cultivated in France, but only for one purpose, industrial use. We will now see how CBD can be cultivated
How is CBD cultivated?
CBD deserves to have a green thumb to be able to grow plants with a low THC content. In France, hemp, from which CBD is extracted, is mainly used for industrial purposes
- In construction, with hemp chips which are made from hemp
- Insulation, since hemp and the processed material of hemp provide excellent insulation
- In plumbing, with the filasse which is a fiber derived from hemp
- In biomaterials
- In fabric for textiles
There are many others, but the main industrial uses of hemp are these. It is rather surprising to see that hemp has been used for years as a building material, when you have the image in your head of a hemp head
Regarding its cultivation, it is subject to strict restrictions announced by the European Union. That is to say, the cultivated plant must not exceed 0.2% THC. In France, the cultivation of hemp is subject to this rule, but also to a second one, which consists in cultivating an authorized variety among 24 varieties authorized in France according to the decree of September 30, 2019 - Article 1
But we hope that France will accentuate its consideration of therapeutic cannabis as legal, and according to Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, consider the cultivation of this therapeutic cannabis. However, since that time, we are in a "timeout" that does not allow the advancement of this topic on the table
Be careful all the same to the use you want of CBD in order not to expose you to sanctions that can sometimes be heavy and fall under the prison.
Certain conditions for the cultivation of hemp
Hemp is a rather temperamental plant that does not like sudden changes in temperature or location. Hemp must be grown in sunlight and on soil that is also exposed to it in order to develop properly
The advantage of this plant is that it does not require much maintenance. For example, it does not require frequent watering as it regulates itself to the day/night cycle and does not require maintenance against possible threats from pests
It is an easy plant to cultivate, but it requires a green thumb in order not to miss its harvest which must be done in May. It is possible to cultivate hemp almost everywhere on the planet, provided that these elements are met and that your country authorizes the culture
It is important to differentiate between personal and industrial use of this plant. You will need an authorization to carry out an industrial use, but you will also have to preserve the various bags of seeds and the invoices in the event of control
321CBD is not responsible for the final use chosen by the consumer of CBD, nor for its production.
