- The earliest hemp crops are traced back 10,000 years to the area of modern day Taiwan where it was the first plant to be spun into usable fiber. It was discovered that by twisting these fibers together they were much stronger which began the art of spinning and weaving fibers into fabric and ended man’s reliance on animal skins for clothing.
- The use of cannabis from hemp for medicine dates to 2,737 BC by Emperor Shennong of China.
- In 105 AD the Chinese invented paper from hemp, one of its greatest achievements which advanced civilization.
- The majority of ship sails and rope were made from hemp for thousands of years, in fact the word canvas comes from the Latin word cannabis.
- According to the U.S. Government Archives, the first Bibles, maps, even Betsy Ross’s flag and the first drafts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were made from hemp.
- According to Kentucky State Archives in 1850 the state produced the largest cash crop of 40,000 tons.
- The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Archives document that in 1916 the government predicted that all paper would come from hemp rather than trees by the 1940s. According to reports 1 acre of hemp was equal to 4.1 acres of trees.
A Short History of Hemp
There seems to be a lot of misinformation and confusion on hemp, so why not look back and learn about its fascinating history and the critical role it has played in the world as an ancient and modern crop. Did you know…
