Hemp’s History Part II

Carl Sagan, have suggested that the harvesting of hemp “led generally to the invention of agriculture, and thereby to civilization.” While it’s hard to tell if that’s true, there’s no denying hemp’s impact on the passage of history. Once a simple crop, hemp has since exploded into an international industry that produces dozens, if not hundreds, of different products. Drippers CBD is proud to continue this fine tradition with our line of zero percent THC hemp drops.

Back to its Roots

Humans have been finding innovative uses for hemp for millennia. More than 10,000 years ago, groups of humans started using hemp to make durable fabrics. These textiles, remarkably, have stood the test of time, as estimates suggest that they were first woven around 8,000 BCE. Then, as now, people recognized the multifaceted uses of hemp and put it use in dozens of products and goods. In Russia, hemp was used to make sturdy rope. In China and the Middle East, paper was made from pressed hemp. Its practical nature made hemp a valuable commodity in the ancient world, and it quickly spread into Europe. In Germany and England, farmers and landowners planted hemp. Most famously, King Henry VIII—infamous for beheading his wives—invested heavily in hemp, encouraging landed gentry to raise more of the plant in order to create rope and other materials. This investment would pay off, as England put these materials to good use by becoming a naval superpower during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

Hemp in the New World

Hemp’s history didn’t end in Europe. Indeed, it found its way across the Atlantic ocean to the New World. Colonists brought hemp seeds with them to plant in the lush American soil. While cotton was king in the new American colonies, hemp was prized for its many uses and profitability. Farmers made hemp into a major export crop, sending tons of the plant back to England to be made into clothing, boat sails, books, and more. The use of hemp was so widespread in the colonies that the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper. But long after the guns of the Revolution fell silent, Americans still used hemp in creative and new ways to make products and goods like oils, fuels, and more.