A Brief History of CBD
The medicinal compound in cannabis called cannabidiol, or CBD for short, has become a wildly successful sector of the agricultural industry in recent years. Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp production for the purposes of making CBD became fully legal.
In just a few short years the CBD industry has gone from virtually nothing to a multi-billion-dollar global industry. Many people lack knowledge of the origins of CBD cultivation. Here is a brief overview of the history of CBD.
THE EARLY DAYS OF HEMP CULTIVATION
Many Americans are not aware of the foundational role that hemp played in the early days of the United States. Many of the Founding Fathers grew hemp on their plantations, and it was widely used for a number of commercial purposes.
THE RESEARCH OF WILLIAM B. O’SHAUGHNESSY
Although hemp was cultivated for a number of purposes, making medicine was not one of them until William B. O’Shaughnessy began to research the healing potential of the plant in the early 1800s. While studying hemp, the Irishman concluded that it had medicinal potential, notably as an anesthetic, or painkiller.
THE DISCOVERY OF CANNABINOIDS
Roughly a hundred years after the work of O’Shaughnessy, researchers in the UK discovered and documented the presence of compounds within the cannabis plant. Following this initial breakthrough, an American scientist two years later isolated both CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound that produces the characteristic “high” of marijuana.
Although scientists had isolated and identified the various compounds in cannabis, due to the limitations of the time, they could not sort out which cannabinoids caused which effects, owing to the presence of more than 100 in the cannabis plant.
THE LEGITIMIZATION OF CANNABIS
Cannabis research, and interest in the medicinal use of various cannabinoids, took off in the late 90s when California became the first state to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. This was the “nose under the tent” that sparked a series of legislative efforts in multiple states to legitimize cannabis use — and the clinical study of its effects.
CHARLOTTE FIGI
No discussion of the modern era of CBD use could be complete without a mention of Charlotte Figi, a Colorado girl who suffered from a particularly debilitating form of epilepsy and who found relief from CBD — even before it was legal.
The path to CBD legitimization has been paved by brave scientists and advocates who persevered in bringing the plant’s medicinal value to light despite the social ostracization and legal consequences.
Originally published on Dr. Kayvan Haddadan’s website.
