What is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of many compounds derived from the cannabis sativa plant. Hemp is a variety of the cannabis sativa plant that typically has lower levels of THC. This flowering plant is well known for a number of reasons. Here are some facts to help you understand more about hemp.
The History of Hemp
It might seem that the value of the hemp plant has only recently been discovered, however, the history of hemp reaches back at least 5,000 years. Now, with the latest development in technology, CBD is being used in an array of formats.
As a plant that was used as herbal medicine in ancient China, Rome and Greece, its properties were highly valued. In Greece, for instance, hemp was used to dress wounds on horses and to treat nosebleeds in humans. During the reign of King Henry VIII, all farmers in England had to allocate a proportion of their land specifically for the growing of hemp in order to produce rope, sails, nets and other naval equipment.
The history of CBD as an identifiable compound date back to the 1940's. Now, we see an explosion of scientific interest into CBD with clinical trials being published and advanced formulations being brought to market.
- The hemp plant has been cultivated by humans for thousands of years
- The hemp plant contains at least 113 chemical compounds called cannabinoids
- The two main cannabinoids are CBD, and tetrahydrocannabinol (known as THC)
- THC is a cannabinoid that has a psychoactive effect on the human body
- CBD has no psychoactive effect and does not impair your daily routine