(Newswire.net — October 14, 2021) —
Ancient Mesopotamia is known as the cradle of civilization, and it was also the birthplace of society’s love affair with hemp. Modern archeologists found a 10,000-year-old hemp cloth there in more recent times.
The hemp plant has been an important part of many human endeavors from ancient times to the modern age. The hemp industry has made monumental strides in more recent years. This is due to a more friendly political climate.
Cultivating hemp is now legal in most parts of the United States and this has led to a burgeoning and vibrant hemp market. But it wasn’t always this way, let’s take a deep dive into the history of hemp.
The Hemp Plant in Ancient Times
The hemp plant played a major role in numerous ancient civilizations. From Egypt to the Orient and all parts in between this vital plant served many functions for the ancient inhabitants of the world.
Some of the uses that ancient peoples had for the hemp plant included making:
- paper
- rope
- clothing
- medicine
- resins
The versatility of hemp was widely known throughout the ancient world. The prolific plant spread throughout all corners of the globe.
Hemp on the High Seas
As civilizations took to the seas in pursuit of trade and exploration, hemp came with them. Without hemp, classical era navigation never could have happened. Many vital ship components were made of hemp.
This included things such as rigging, ropes, and sails. The resin from hemp helped make ships watertight as well. Hemp was the backbone of any seafaring civilization for many centuries.
Hemp in the Classical and Renaissance Eras
Hemp paper played a major part during the medieval, classical, and renaissance eras throughout Europe. Treaties, important government documents, and works of literature were all printed on hemp paper.
The developing maritime industry and age of exploration put hemp on the center stage as a cash crop. Citizens now grew it at the behest of kings and for their personal economic interests. Hemp seeds grew many fortunes.
Hemp Comes to America
Hemp was a major cash crop for early colonists and served as the basis for much of the early colonial economy. George Washington himself was a successful hemp farmer.
As the industrial age chugged into motion, hemp once again took center stage as an important raw material for textiles, paper, and other products.
Hemp in the 20th Century
As the timber titans who dominated the early American paper industry intended, hemp was soon vilified and banned outright in much of the country. This led to the War on Drugs and the prosecution of many hemp growers.
However, the foundations for the golden era of legalization began to bud late in the 20th century. Hemp once again became a vital economic interest at the start of the 21st century with the advent of legalization.
The Modern Age of Hemp
The loosening of the legal reins on the cannabis industry led to a new proliferation of hemp in the United States. Different types of hemp gave way to a multitude of different hemp products.
The medicinal hemp market for instance grew to new highs with the onset of CBD and other wonder-cures. Check out anandahemp.com for more information about these. Only time will tell what the future will hold for hemp.
Writing the Next Chapter of Hemp’s History
All of us citizens of the 21st-century world are now collectively writing the next chapter of the hemp plant’s history. One thing is certain, this vital plant is here to stay as long as society exists.
Use the information in this article to find some amazing hemp products that suit your lifestyle. For other engaging information like this, tune in often to see what the rest of our site has to offer.