History of Hemp

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Early Judaism and Christianity have references to cannabis. Ancient Hebrew culture, religion and mysticism such as the Cabala mention cannabis(18 ). In 1980, An Etymologist at Hebrew University in Jerusalem authenticated that the Hebrew word kineboisin in the old testament is in fact Cannabis(19 ).

An error occurred in the oldest translation of the Hebrew bible Septuagint. In the third century BC the term, kaneh bosom (exodus 30:23) was incorrectly translated as "calamus.", when in fact the correct translation is cannabis, the error followed in the many translations that followed, including Martin Luther(20 ).

Nero's Surgeon Diosorides, gave "cannabis Sativa" it's name (21 ). Ancient Rome used hemp and occasionally published directions on how to grow hemp in the hopes of creating a domestic supply. Despite this Rome imported a substantial amount of hemp, most of it from Sura in Babylonia(22 ).

During the inquisition in Spain in the 12 century, wine was allowed as a sacrament, and they tolerated beer and hard liquor but they outlawed cannabis as a "witch drug" along with other natural remedies, so did France in the 13^th century(23 ). Joan of arc, was charged in 1430-31 of using "witch drugs", such as Cannabis, to hear voices(24 ).

During the Bronze Age hemp was grown everywhere in Europe for it's fiber and oil yielding seeds(25 ).

In the 16th century Elizabeth I encouraged its cultivation (26 ).

Hemp was cultivated in England and in the English settlement of Jamestown, to help with the Navy's increasing demand for hemp rope (27 ). Farmers in Jamestown were ordered to grow hemp, and between 1763 and 1767. A farmer could get thrown into jail for not growing hemp (28 ).

American founding father George Washington wrote in his farmer journal on August 7, 1765 "began to separate (sic) the male from the female hemp…rather too late.". Showing he was looking for stronger cannabis (29 ). Other founding fathers that grew hemp include Thomas and James Madison (30 ).

In 1839 the homeopathy journal Americans Provers Union published the first of many reports on the medicinal effect of cannabis. The U.S. dispensatory first listed the Therapeutic effects of Cannabis in 1854. By 1896, several new Cannabis derivatives were developed among them Cannabin, Cannadindon(31 ).