Hemp has a long, illustrious history that is often misunderstood and shrouded in mystery. This timeline of hemp spans from its origins till the present day, shedding light on the significant events that have shaped this controversial plant’s fate.
So pull up a chair, and enjoy a stroll down memory lane with us!
8000 BC
Hemp cords were the first form to be used by older civilizations, as evidenced by imprints on ancient pottery shards from China and Taiwan. These designs were also noted on hemp cloth from ancient Mesopotamia. Hemp was likely chosen for its versatility; it is strong and durable, yet soft and flexible.
4000-3000 BC
The earliest mention of hemp is found in the Atharvaveda, a collection of Vedic texts dating back to 4000-3000 BCE. In these ancient texts, hemp is mentioned for its medicinal and religious purposes. For example, it is said to be useful for treating headaches and digestive problems. It is also said to be a sacred plant that can help induce trance-like states during religious ceremonies. These references suggest that hemp was widely used in ancient India for a variety of purposes.
2000-200 BC
In the 5th century B.C., the Greek historian Herodotus described the Scythian burials where the Scythians would gather in a tent, throw hemp seeds onto red hot stones and then purify themselves in the steam bath.
200 BC- 500 AD
Moving forward to 200 BC, China invented its first hemp-based paper.
Though they kept it to themselves until the 5th century, it found its way to other cultures. All paper used in the world was hemp paper till 1883
500-1000 AD
Cannabis has played an important role in preserving precious artworks within the ancient cave of Ellora.
Probably, ancient Indian technicians were the first in the world to practice hempcrete technology, i.e., mixing of Bhang in clay/lime plaster for construction
1456
In 1456, Johannes Gutenberg came out with the printing press. As interesting history of hemp gets, The first book, the Bible, ironically enough – was printed on hemp. It triggered a media revolution documenting some of the most historic testaments to change history. and transfer knowledge between cultures
1500-1700
Hemp’s value to the economy is deemed essential and by the end of the century, farmers all across the colonies are legally required to grow hemp as a staple crop.
The movement was triggered by England to be followed by American Farmers who grew hemp for various roles —from the rigging of their ship following suit to Columbus and even using Hemp Oil as lamp fuel.
1700-1900
Indians were following the Sushruta Samhita, an ancient medical treatise, that recommended cannabis plant extract for treating respiratory ailments and diarrhea.
The history of hemp in India changed when in 1798, the British Parliament enacted a tax on cannabis in an attempt to reduce cannabis consumption.
They even created the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission (1894-1895), to suppress and criminalize the cultivation of hemp in India.
1900-1938
Hemp is caught in the crosshairs with marijuana and its criminalization started in the early 20th century across the world.
There was a ban on the exportation of ‘Indian Hemp’, with an excessive tax on all varieties of cannabis (including hemp).
1940-1945
Hemp played a crucial role for the US in the Second World War. Japan invaded the Philippines cutting the US off from their major source of imported hemp. To meet the demands of the war, the governments of Canada and the United States lifted the bans and restrictions and created a campaign titled Hemp for Victory to encourage farmers to grow hemp for the war effort, providing a new chance for the revival of the hemp industry.
1961
The UN drug control system classified Cannabis as a hard drug and restricted its production and use for “medical and scientific purposes” only.
India opposed this as they stated that bhang, ganja, and charas were culturally used. They did promise to keep the export of hemp limited on the condition that the definition of cannabis under the convention will be reconstructed.
1970-1990
Cannabis is classified as a Schedule 1 drug & following pressure from the USA, India joins the War On Drugs criminalizing the use of cannabis.
The Indian Government passed the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, of 1985 which banned the production and sale of cannabis resin and flowers but allowed the use of leaves and seeds asking the states to regulate the latter.
1990-2000
The application of hemp in construction works in European countries started gaining popularity from 1990 onwards.
In 1994, forty companies met in Arizona to form the Hemp Industries Association to promote hemp and define product standards.
This was very similar to the trade organizations promoting cotton, wool, and linen. Eventually, hemp became the most versatile crop with its use in food, tax payment, clothing, and whatnot.
2000-2005
A survey in 2003 showed that more than 95% of hemp seed sold in the European Union at that time was used in animal and bird feed.
The Hemp Industries Association manages to convince the 9th U.S. Circuit Court for a verdict that puts permanent protections in place for domestic imports and sales of hemp-based food and baby-care products.
2006-2014
America issues the first Hemp permit in over 5 decades. They also passed the famous Farm Bill allowing the state agriculture departments and research institutes to oversee pilot research programs for hemp cultivation.
2015
The Uttarakhand state was the first to make hemp legal in India, noting down in history of hemp, permitting the legal cultivation of the plant, as long as cultivars have the infrastructure in place to ensure a THC content below 0.3%. Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur and many other states are ready to open up as well.
2017
In 3 years of the passing of the Farm Bill, more than 25,000 acres of American hemp has grown with nearly 15,000 farmers across 19 states. At the same time, more than 30 different research institutions are researching hemp.
This got countries around the world to not ignore but research the benefits of industrial and medicinal hemp.
2018
Patanjali Ayurved CEO Balkrishna stated in February 2018 that his company had begun researching the benefits of cannabis and its extracts at its research and development facility in Haridwar, for use in the company’s medicines and other products.
2019
In July 2019, the Delhi High Court agreed to hear a petition, filed by the Great Legalisation Movement Trust, challenging the ban on cannabis. The public interest litigation argues that grouping cannabis with other chemical drugs under the NDPS Act is “arbitrary, unscientific, and unreasonable”.
2020
India voted in favor of removing cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) on 9 December 2020.
The resolution was passed with 27 member countries voting in favor, 25 against, and one abstention.
2021
In March 2021, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur, said that the state government is coming up with a policy to allow controlled cultivation of hemp or cannabis in the state. The motivation behind this change is reported to be to boost the local economy of Himachal Pradesh.
2022
IIT Kanpur inks down MOU with Niche Agriculture & Pharmaceuticals Limited to achieve new milestone in Hemp pharmaceuticals and Bioengineering. This collaboration will not only grant access to a whole new range of medicinal formulations, but it will also offer people affordable medical treatment for chronic health problems.
History of Hemp has a long and interesting applications that are still being discovered. What will the future of hemp bring? We can’t wait to find out!
Mull over on the article: The History of Hemp Cultivation in India specific to the history of Hemp in India.
Our friends in industry has also covered the history of hemp and timeline in an interesting context. Here are few articles:
For now, we want to hear from you.
What do you think about hemp? Is it something you see yourself using in the future?
We’ll continue to update this article with any new developments. Please share the most recent updates in the Hemp Space in the comments below.
