Hemp

The Hemp plant is a quite famous plant in the Cannabaceae family with a very rich history in human culture. Hemp has been employed to make cloth, paper, and food since the first Neolithic human societies began in Central and Southeast Asia. Cannabis sativa has also been used as a sacred religious plant in Buddhist, Hindu, Hebrew, African, and Caribbean cultures. Its medical use dates back to 5,000 years ago, when Chinese physicians prescribed Cannabis for fatigue, malaria, and rheumatism. The American Eclectic physicians of the early 1900s preferred Cannabis extract to support healthy urinary tract function, and to support healthy digestion, mood, and sleep. Over the centuries, humans carefully evolved the genetics of Cannabis into several different strains, hybridized mainly for its use as a drug or its use as a fiber and seed oil plant. Cannabis sativa var. sativa has narrow leaflets and is often referred to as narrow leaflet Hemp, and commonly know as Industrial Hemp. Hemp produces over 100 different cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are constituents found in the Hemp plant that led to the discovery of the endocannabinoid receptor system. Since then, many other species of plants that interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system have been discovered. Until very recently, cultivation and use of Hemp was federally regulated. However, with the passage of the 2018 US Farm Bill declared that the Hemp plant has been removed from the Schedule 1 class of controlled substances.