Ancient History

• Hemp farming and seed collecting in China dates back to as early as 6500 BCE.

• Hemp was one of the earliest fibers used to make fabrics. Carbon dating on early fabrics have shown that hemp has been in use as a fiber since at least 4000 BCE.

• Sanskrit and Hindi texts, including the Vedas have been translated speaking about the therapeutic benefits of cannabis going back to 1400-2000 BCE.

• Cannabis was being cultivated for use in Indian Ayurvedic medicine as early as 900 BCE.

• Hemp cultivation for fiber became widespread all throughout Europe after 500 BCE. 

• Greek physicians Galen and Dioscorides would prescribe cannabis for various conditions dating back to 40-200 CE.

Recent History

• Hemp strains of cannabis were brought to North and South Americas from Europe in the 1500’s and 1600’s. Arriving first in Chile South America in 1545 and later in North America at Port Royal, Acadia in 1606.

• In 1737 Linneaus omitted the Asian Psychoactive strains when defining the term Cannabis Sativa instead only describing the non psychoactive strains in Europe with this term.

• In 1785 Lamarck coined the term C. indica to describe the psychoactive cannabis strains found in Afghanistan and the Middle East.

• Hemp was one of the main fibers used for textiles throughout the world in the mid 1800’s, rivaling flax. Hemp was once referred to as the “king of fiber bearing plants.”

• Hemp farming in America was high throughout the Civil War as it was used extensively for sailcloth and cordage. Hemp farming continued into the 1900’s.

• In 1915 the Father of Modern Medicine Sir William Osler wrote in his textbook, The Principles and Practice of Medicine, that cannabis was the best known cure for prolonged migraines.

Drug History

• The Marihuana Tax Act of 1938 made cannabis illegal in the United States beginning the prohibition of cannabis. 

• Despite the Marihuana Tax Act, the Hemp textile industry remained in place for another 20 years, until 1958.

• The discovery of THC as the psychoactive component of cannabis was made by Dr. Mechoulam in the 1960’s. Dr. Mechoulam and his lab were also able to fully synthesize THC during this time as well. 

• 1986 DEA rescheduled Dranabinol the synthetic form of THC to allow it to be used medicinally for patients with HIV induced anorexia and cancer patients with nausea.

• The discovery of the endocannabinoid receptors was done by Dr. Howlett in 1988. This also marked the first understanding of the endocannabinoid system. 

• Dr. Mechoulam isolates the first endocannabinoid anandamide in 1992. The compound was named from the sanskrit word ananda which means bliss due to the role of the endocannabinoid system in mood regulation. 

Legalization 

• Oregon became the first state to decriminalize the possession of cannabis in 1973 marking the first step towards ending prohibition of cannabis. 

• California passed the landmark legislation Proposition 215 in 1996 which made medical cannabis use legal for the first time. This was a landmark legislation that led the way for numerous other states to pass medical laws of their own. 

• Colorado and Washington became the first two states in the United States to legalize recreational use of cannabis in 2012. While it was nearly 20 years between when California passed medical marijuana and when the first states began passing recreational cannabis, other states were quick to follow.  

• The United States Hemp Farm Bill was passed in 2014 making hemp with less than 0.3% THC legal. This allowed for farmers across the United States to once again start growing hemp. 

• In 2020, the FDA approved Epidiolex^TM for the treatment of epilepsy induced seizures making it the first cannabis derived drug approved by the FDA for a medical condition. 

• January 2021 House Representatives vote to decriminalize cannabis federally. While this vote did not officially make cannabis legal federally, it was an important step in that direction. 

References

Baron, E. P. (2015). Comprehensive review of medicinal marijuana, cannabinoids, and therapeutic implications in medicine and headache: what a long strange trip it’s been…. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 55(6), 885-916.

McPartland, John M., and Geoffrey W. Guy. “Models of Cannabis taxonomy, cultural bias, and conflicts between scientific and vernacular names.” The botanical review 83.4 (2017): 327-381.

Small, Ernest, and David Marcus. “Hemp: A new crop with new uses for North America.” (2002): 284-326.

Mechoulam, Raphael. “Conversation with Raphael Mechoulam.” Addiction (Abingdon, England) 102.6 (2007): 887-893.