Jan 02, 2022
A History of Hemp Products: Why You Should Pay Attention
Hemp, the non-intoxicating plant often confused with marijuana, has a long history beginning as early as 8000 BC. As it has been recently regaining interest for its tens of thousands of uses, we’re finally getting the chance to employ it for all its potential benefits. Let’s take a look at what history can tell us about hemp’s future.
Hemp in Ancient Cultures
Hemp has been around since as far back as the Neolithic age, thousands of years ago. The first known evidence of the plant was found in China, where archaeologists discovered pottery made with hemp cord.
Asia is not the only continent with archaeological evidence of the early use of the plant. Hemp is described in ancient Hindu and Persian texts as a "sacred grass" and "King of Seeds.” Civilizations all around the world have left documentation of its significance.
The Middle Ages and Beyond
More recently, the use of hemp advanced throughout Europe in the middle ages. Likely native to the western hemisphere long before Europeans brought it over, Spain was the first to officially farm it when the plant was brought to Chile in the mid-1500s.
North America started its stormy relationship with hemp soon after, in the 1600s. Hemp products were so widely used that colonists were required to pay a fine if they did not grow hemp in their fields. The first drafts of the Declaration of Independence were even written on hemp paper. So why isn't hemp a million-dollar crop now, and why aren’t hemp products more widely used?
Hemp in the U.S.
Like many things do, the downfall of this fascinating plant began with the media. In the 1930s, the wealthy elite maintained control over the press, and their interest in growing other crops for monetary reasons led them to use their power to portray the crop as evil.
Then, the War on Drugs of the 1970s cemented hemp's place as a universally misunderstood plant. The crop was lumped in with marijuana, its intoxicating cousin, and farming of the crop was made illegal. But that demonization didn't last forever, and we’re lucky enough to see the renaissance of hemp once again.
The 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills recognized the potential of hemp as an environmentally-friendly crop with over 25,000 uses. The bills removed it from the Controlled Substances Act, making it legal to grow, process, and sell.
Hemp in the 2020s
State-to-state, the laws on hemp are different, but it is federally legal. And now, with this new legality, we're able to utilize hemp for all of its applications and potential benefits.
The plant is used to make clothing, fabric, fibers, even shoes. It provides an alternative to plastics, paper, and fiberglass insulation. Hemp can even be used to produce a natural substitute for concrete.
The plant also gives us food rich in nutrients, from seeds that can be eaten raw to hearty hemp seed milk and oil. It's even utilized in hemp oil products that offer possible health benefits.
Additionally, compounds derived from the flowers and stems of the hemp plant are often touted for their potentially beneficial properties. You can find tinctures, topicals, ingestible items, and even beverage enhancers made with hemp, like the ones we offer at Science-Rite HEMP™.
Where Next?
It's impossible to know where hemp will take us next, but now that we are again utilizing the plant, we can see all of its possibilities.
At Science-Rite, we believe in the value of the aerial parts of the hemp plant. Learn more about how we utilize this incredible crop in our HEMP products, how you can benefit from adding a hemp product to your routine, and our dream for the future of the hemp plant.
You can also check out our collection of HEMP products made using organic, USA-grown, THC-Free HEMP and Nanotechnology for higher bioavailability and absorption. Find NANO HEMP products like our Water-Soluble HEMP Gummies and Softgels, all designed with Nanotechnology for Ultra-Fast-Acting Extreme-Bioavailability.