While decades of cannabis prohibition may lead some to believe that CBD’s therapeutic effects are a recent discovery, this is not the case. Let’s now discover the the rising history of CBD together!
The oldest reported usage of cannabis-derived medicine dates back to 2737 BC, when Chinese Emperor Sheng Neng drank a cannabis-infused drink to treat memory loss, malaria, rheumatism, and gout.
During her reign, which ended in 1901, Queen Victoria is said to have used CBD to relieve menstruation pains.
Throughout history, cannabis has been used as a significant therapeutic resource; yet, due to a lack of scientific evidence, it was not recognized by the majority of the medical profession throughout the rise of modern medicine.
It wasn’t until 1839, when Irish physician and medical researcher William B. O’Shaughnessy released a paper on the plant’s curative benefits, that scientists began to evaluate cannabis’s medical potential.
O’Shaughnessy investigated the elementary effects of cannabis and thoroughly explained its possible medicinal applications, particularly as an anesthetic, in his then-controversial paper.
While the Irish researcher may not have understood it at the time, he had just paved the way for the discovery of the substances known as cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids: Their Discovery
Advances in science and technology confirmed the presence of chemicals within the cannabis plant over a century after O’Shaughnessy published his study.
In 1940, British scientist Robert S. Cahn described the imperfect structure of Cannabinol (CBN), that he eventually identified as completely formed, as the first individual cannabinoid. For further read, check the entourage effect.
Two years later, Roger Adams, an American chemist, made history by successfully isolating the first cannabinoid, Cannabidiol (CBD). His studies also resulted in the discovery of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
So we got the rising history of CBD at the first days. What’s further?
Cannabinoid Pharmacology in its Early Stages
During the early stages of cannabis study, scientists had only a hazy understanding of cannabinoid structure and a hazy comprehension of the plant’s biological content.
As a result, prior researchers have been unable to determine which chemical was responsible for which effect.
A year later, researchers uncovered the stereochemistry of THC, which revealed the cannabinoids’ direct relationship to the euphoric effects associated with marijuana usage and disassociated CBD as a mind-altering substance.
As research progressed, New Mexico passed the Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Act in 1978, which legally recognized cannabis’s therapeutic benefits.
The Rise Time of CBD in the United States
California became the first state to allow medical marijuana with Proposition 215 in 1996.
Within a few years, seven additional states followed suit, including:
- Oregon, Alaska, and Washington (1998)
- Maine (1999)
- Hawaii, Nevada, and Colorado (2000)
With the legalization of medicinal marijuana, patients in those states suddenly had legal access to cannabis, and researchers could increase their research into cannabinoid medical benefits and let the rising history of CBD market place as well.
This sparked study into the potential of CBD for the treatment of a wide range of disorders, including chronic pain, epilepsy, and a number of neurodegenerative diseases.
While the stigma around cannabis had begun to fade, it still came under a very murky area of the law, and because of CBD’s close tie to the contentious plant, it was judged under the same restrictions.
While the distinction between CBD and the other cannabinoids was well understood in the scientific world, it remained unknown to those who could truly influence these laws – the general public.
According to polls conducted between 1998 and 2002, more than two-thirds of Americans opposed cannabis legalization. One of the key elements contributing to America’s rejection at the time was the presence of stigmas such as “weed is a gateway drug” and similar phrases. As a result, many Americans believe cannabis is dangerous, addictive, and detrimental.
CBD is now available in the United States
Those who once resisted cannabis are now turning to CBD for relief, and its therapeutic effects are helping to alter the lives of people all over the country.
We are still on the cusp of this great movement, which is growing at an exponential rate, exceeding everyone’s expectations and accomplishing the impossible.
Here are a few examples of historical events (the rising history of CBD):
- There has been a tremendous increase in CBD awareness and retail sales, prompting analysts to project that the CBD business will be worth $22 billion by 2022.
- CBD has been found to have even more therapeutic benefits in research.
- The 2018 Farm Bill made hemp-derived CBD legal on a federal level.
- Epidolex, a CBD-based oral solution, was approved by the FDA.
- CBD products are now available online and in stores around the country, including big companies such as 7-eleven, Sephora,, Neiman Marcus and others.
CBD’s Future
While public image of CBD has changed drastically over the years, it is still not widely accepted throughout the country. Many people still oppose CBD and other cannabis-derived substances, and many more are unaware of their benefits.
There is still work to be done for CBD to fulfill its full potential and impact the lives of as many people as possible. While there may be some hurdles ahead, the CBD community’s power has demonstrated that nothing will stand in its path.
We hope you enjoyed reading the article on the rising history of CBD. We have no doubt that you will also be interested in the article about Charlotte’s Web Weed. You will find out some more things about CBD weed there!
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