If there is one plant that has earned the term “One-Stop Solution” for its countless uses, it’s hemp. Hemp, a by-product of cannabis, is a non-psychoactive compound that primarily contains a compound called cannabidiol (CBD).
Hemp is a member of the cannabis family with a rich history of wide use and application. Over time, however, this extremely useful plant turned into an unfortunately misunderstood plant. Known scientifically as Cannabis Sativa, hemp has been etched into history books for its uses dating back over 1000 years.
Hemp is considered the strongest plant fiber in the plant kingdom and has been an essential part of trade around the world for a considerable part of the past. Whether it was the ropes used on ships, the fasteners that held the sail fabric, or the clothing worn by sailors, they were all made of hemp. The idea of how much hemp was involved in the formation of substances can be quantified by the fact that the word ‘canvas’ is derived from cannabis.
Cannabis has also spread its branches, not only in textiles, but also in medicine and spirituality. The roots of the cannabis plant, of which hemp is a product, lie deep in the advent of Chinese civilization. The first vivid mention of the versatile plant is recorded in the ancient medicinal writing system called Chinese Materia Medica, a book dating back to 50 BCE.
The book is said to have been written by Shen Nung, who is considered the father of irrigation, agriculture and traditional Chinese medicine. The book deals with the various uses of the cannabis plant in fields such as medicine, textiles and consciousness-related disorders. Multiple excavation projects in Japan also show evidence of human use of hemp for at least 10,000 years.
In India, the cannabis plant is of religious importance as it is associated with the Hindu god Shiva. While the CBD-dominant portion has yet to be adopted by manufacturers who still use alternatives such as cotton and other materials, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-dominant portion is traditionally consumed as ‘Bhaang’.
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