The History of CBD
August 30, 2022CBD History 101:
The first recorded use of the cannabis plant for therapeutic purposes dates back to the year 2737 B.C. in China. Emperor Cheng Neng brewed the first cup of CBD tea. The tea was used for treating gout, malaria, and rheumatism. The plant continued to pop up over time. It was rumored that Queen Victoria used the plant to alleviate menstrual cramps. As modern day medicine started to advance, sadly cannabis was regulated as misguided. The research on the medicinal importance of CBD began with one man- William B. O’shaughnessy. Unfortunately it was almost a decade after his death that his work became recognized.
Rediscovering CBD:
Cannabinoids were brought to light again after many years in the dust, Harvard trained chemist Roger Adams identified, and extracted CBD from the cannabis plant. He also identified another cannabinoid called CBN or cannabinol. His discoveries are also responsible for the identification of THC as well. But it was another scientist DR. Raphael Mechaulam who dug even deeper and identified the structure of CBD. By comparing notes scientists were able to conclude that the mentally stimulating effects of cannabis were tied to the THC and not CBD. CBD was found to be more of the therapeutic part of the plant. Don’t get it twisted though, CBD does still have some effects on the brain, otherwise it would be useless against anxiety and insomnia.
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How was CBD First Used:
Cannabis has been cultivated as hemp and marijuana for at least 5,000 years. The presence of cannabinoids are what gives the plant its health benefits. These compounds can be extracted as oily resin, which people used to infuse tea and other beverages way before the light was even shed on the chemical structure of CBD. It wasn’t until the late 20th century that the state of New Mexico legalized cannabis for research purposes. The state released a bill, the 1978 controlled substance therapeutic research act, which enabled the study of therapeutic properties of cannabis.The Rise of CBD in the United States:
As research was on an up rise for the medicinal properties of CBD , it continued to spark attention among medical experts. Individual states began seeing reasons why cannabis should be decriminalized. The first state to legalize medical cannabis was California, in 1996. A year later Alaska, Washington, and Oregon followed. Right behind them was Maine who also legalized marijuana the following year. Colorado, Nevada, and Hawaii were up next, passing the law in 2000. As of 2021, 18 states in the US have legalized cannabis for recreational use.CBD: A Success Story
Charlotte was a young girl suffering from Dravet Syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. She was born October 18th, 2006. The drug resistant disease put her in a wheelchair at age 5. She sometimes had as many as 300 seizures a week. Thankfully, Charlotte's family was in Colorado, where the use of medical marijuana was decriminalized. So Charlotte's mother started giving her CBD oil, and the results were astounding! Charlotte's seizures dropped drastically from 300 a week to a maximum of 3 in a month. This success story caught the media's attention, and Charlotte's story became a social sensation. People with similar stories came to Colorado, from all over the world to buy CBD oils. Unfortunately Charlotte passed away from complications from pneumonia in April 2020. But her story sparked a global boom on CBD oil to treat seizures and epilepsy.CBD in the US Today:
Five years ago we knew very little about CBD and its therapeutic possibilities. Now it’s the next biggest thing in the wellness world. The legalization of hemp in 2018 has led to the sprouting of so many CBD companies and products. In December 2018 the Farm Bill was passed, the bill removed hemp defined as cannabis and derived from cannabis with extremely low concentrations of THC, amounting to 0.3% or less. Here’s a breakdown to show exactly how important CBD has become in the United States.-2018 also marked the year of the first CBD based drug being approved by the FDA. The drug Epidiolex is used in the management of epilepsy. This medication is administered orally and yields a drastic reduction in the frequency of seizures.
-With such a boom in the CBD market, analysts predict that CBD industries will be worth 22 billion dollars by 2022.
-In the U.S. there are over 8 different forms of CBD, including gummies, tinctures, topicals, patches, capsules, and vape pens, just to name a few. It just goes to show how versatile CBD really is.
-There is always ongoing research on CBD, and possibly even more therapeutic outcomes to be discovered. Researchers are diving deep into the analgesic properties of CBD as well as its effects on inflammation, and psychiatric disorders.