International Hemp Day – April 21, 2024

History of International Hemp Day

The earliest use of hemp can be traced back to between nine and 50 thousand years ago, even before the introduction of agriculture. According to experts, hemp was grown during the Neolithic Age all across the northern latitudes, from Europe to East Asia, and it may have been one of the earliest plants to have been cultivated. In Neolithic China, hemp was used to make clothes, ropes, shoes, and early forms of paper. In the fifth century B.C., the classical Greek historian Herodotus described how Scythians used hemp seeds for euphoria and ritual purposes during burials. According to Herodotus, the Scythians would gather in a tent, throw hemp seeds onto hot stones, and inhale the vapors of the hemp seed smoke.

During the Renaissance, the cultivation of hemp in Europe was mainly for its fibers. They were used for ropes on ships, including those of Christopher Columbus. Europeans also used hemp to produce clothes, but that was concentrated in the countryside. In the 16th century, the Spaniards introduced hemp to the Americas in countries like Chile, Peru, Columbia, and Mexico. However, the crop only found success in Chile.

By the 17th century, hemp varieties were already grown in the United States. In 1937, the U.S. government passed the Marihuana Tax of 1937, drastically limiting the production and use of hemp, cannabis, or marijuana. During WWII, the United States Department of Agriculture lifted the tax on hemp cultivation, allowing it to be extensively used for uniforms, canvas, and rope. In 1994, Executive Order 12919 identified hemp as a strategic national product that should be stockpiled in the United States. In the 21st century, cannabis, which includes hemp and marijuana, was made legal for medical and recreational uses in some countries and a few states and territories in the U.S., including Canada, South Africa, Uruguay, and Mexico.