Although cannabis oil is a relatively young invention, the origins of this wonderful drug go way back in time. Here's the fascinating history of cannabis oil.
First use cannabis plant
The cannabis plant is a versatile plant that has been used in various ways by mankind for centuries.
The first use of cannabis dates back to prehistoric times. In Japan, cannabis seeds were found during an archaeological dig of an 8000-year-old settlement. This points to the use of cannabis by the people who used to live here. Archaeological excavations in China have found 4000-year-old pots with imprints of the hemp plant.
Another word for cannabis is hemp. These two words clearly distinguish between the two main uses of this useful plant.
History hemp
The term 'hemp' is used when it comes to external applications of this plant. The fibers of the cannabis plant are very strong. That is why hemp is used for clothing, rope and ship sails.
In Siberia and in China, hemp has been used for clothing for centuries. Sometime in the Middle Ages, hemp was also used in Europe for textile products.
When European nations set out to explore the world in large sailing ships, hemp even took on historical significance. Hemp made it possible to make large and sturdy sails. This made it possible to sail faster and safer across the world's seas.
History cannabis
The term 'cannabis' has traditionally been used mainly when it comes to internal applications of this plant. This may concern both medicinal and recreational use of cannabis.
This internal use of cannabis is also centuries old. When a mummy is found in Egypt, cannabis seeds and leaves are sometimes found next to the mummy. The same goes for mummified priests in China.
Cannabis is mentioned in the Indian Sushruta Samhita because of its medicinal properties. The Sushruta Samhita is a text that is more than two thousand years old.
The Greek traveler Herodotus wrote about cannabis use by humans in Scythia in the fifth century BC. This Empire of classical antiquity was located on the site of present-day Kazakhstan including surrounding areas.
Cannabis has also been used in Europe for centuries. We know this because remains of the cannabis plant are often found in medieval herb gardens.
From cannabis to cannabis oil
Although cannabis use goes back a long way, the concrete product cannabis oil is more recent. Yet here too, history goes back further than you might think.
We know, for example, that in the nineteenth century cannabis extracts were sold in pharmacies in several Western countries. That was the most normal course of events.
However, this would change in the first half of the twentieth century.
Lost knowledge
In 1925, cannabis was included in the International Opium Convention. This happened under heavy pressure from the United States of America. The US wanted cannabis to be banned internationally as early as 1912, but the country was still unable to find enough supporters.
The International Opium Treaty banning cannabis came into effect on September 25, 1938. From that moment on, cannabis oil disappeared from the shelves of pharmacies.
Subsequently, much practical knowledge about cannabis extracts was lost. That would only change sixty years later when a Canadian rediscovered the power of cannabis oil. His name was Rick Simpson.
Self-medication
In the 70s, a small and stubborn country began tolerating small amounts of cannabis for its own use. That country is the Netherlands. The policy of tolerance focused mainly on recreational use of cannabis.
It was long forgotten that cannabis also has medicinal properties. Except for a small group of users who noticed that they suffered less from certain physical or psychological complaints thanks to smoking cannabis.
This self-medication was done by smoking cannabis. After all, by that time almost everyone had forgotten that cannabis extracts could also be made. Until the late XNUMXs, Rick Simpson started producing cannabis extracts based on the cannabis he grew in his own backyard.
Rick Simpson Oil
Canadian Rick Simpson used his cannabis extract with 70% THC to treat his skin cancer. According to him, this was a great success.
After this, Rick Simpson began to promote his discovery, and after some time he gained international attention. His cannabis extract soon got the name 'Rick Simpson Oil'.
Rediscovering cannabis oil
A Dutch former coffee shop owner also heard about Rick Simpson Olie. His name was Wernard Bruining.
In interviews, Wernard Bruining says he got really high when he first used Rick Simpson Oil. Rick Simpson Oil is an undiluted cannabis extract that contains about 70% THC.
Wernard realized that such a high THC percentage for most medicinal uses is actually nonsensical. Then in 2009 he came up with the simple but genius idea of diluting the cannabis extract with a vegetable oil. And cannabis oil with THC (also called THC oil) as we know it today was born.
Cannabis oil with CBD
The first cannabis oil was THC oil. This also had to do with the fact that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was the best-known substance from cannabis at that time. That was because THC was responsible for the well-known high.
However, at that time, scientists had already discovered that there were more substances in cannabis that are useful for the human body. The focus was mainly on cannabidiol (CBD). This substance was discovered in the 40s.
Decades later, scientists discovered the useful effects of CBD. Afterwards, a new cannabis oil soon came onto the market: CBD oil. This was a few years after Wernard Bruining shared the idea of cannabis oil with the world.
Nowadays, CBD oil is used much more than THC oil for two reasons:
- No high: It is impossible to get high from CBD.
- Legal: Trade in CBD products is completely legal.
The production of CBD oil has been extensively professionalized. There is a great focus on quality. CBD oil manufacturers regularly have their own products tested by independent laboratories.
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