Hemp has been a part of human history for thousands of years, and its uses have been incredibly versatile. In colonial times, hemp was used for a variety of purposes, from paper and lamp fuel to ropes and cords, fabric, canvas, maritime materials, and even sacks. In the Americas, the British Crown required all English colonists to grow an acre of hemp on their property or pay a fine. In an effort to motivate farmers to cultivate the crop, the United States Department of Agriculture produced a promotional film called Hemp for Victory.
Today, Charlotte's Web is known for its range of products that use a full-spectrum hemp extract, which contains higher levels of CBD, a non-intoxicating compound, as well as other compounds found naturally in hemp, such as terpenes and flavonoids. The seed and fiber of the hemp plant were exempt from the definition of marijuana and could be imported and sold in the U. S. Hemp cultivation began more than 10,000 years ago in what is now Taiwan.
By the mid-18th century, Virginians had 12,000 acres cultivated on hemp, more than a quarter of the 45,000 acres they had in tobacco. The emerging dominance of the British Navy was the main factor for English farmers and their American counterparts having to dedicate part of their land area to hemp production. Old records refer to people who participated in ritual and recreational hemp poisoning at least 2,600 years ago. The hemp wick is a piece of yarn made of hemp fibers coated with a layer of beeswax.
It wasn't until the mid-20th century that federal attitudes toward industrial hemp began to change, leading to decades of prohibition. In the pre-industrialized world, it was great to have hemp available for everyday products. However, when it came to cash crops, tobacco was still the essential element of the economy. The increasing role of the British Navy was the main reason why English farmers and their American counterparts had to dedicate part of their surface to hemp production. The United States Department of Agriculture produced a promotional film called Hemp for Victory which focused on growing hemp for use in textiles such as ropes for the Navy to boost United States efforts in World War II.
More than 120,000 pounds of hemp fiber were needed to manipulate the 44-gun USS Constitution. Whether you sprinkle hemp seeds in your smoothie or light up a hemp wick, hemp is here to stay. With companies like Charlotte's Web producing quality products derived from hemp, it has not only regained its status as a wonderful crop but is part of a new and modern chapter in history books.
