Industry Experts Weigh in on the History of CBD
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While the popularity of cannabidiol, or CBD, is soaring, this molecule of medical mysteries is far from a new discovery. The plant, Cannabis Sativa, otherwise known as hemp, is known to be one of the first plants to be farmed by humans and has been used for medical, recreational, and spiritual reasons for more than 5,000 years. Believe it or not, the pharmaceutical studies of many cannabinoids, including CBD, began over seven decades ago. While cannabis laws have been slowing changing, the path to making CBD legal and accepted across the nation is spreading like a Colorado wildfire.
"The cannabidiol industry is the wave of the future, and big pharma will likely be focusing on CBD soon," said Ben Martch, Founder and CEO of Kured, a Full Spectrum Hemp Extract company.
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Before and After Prohibition
Prior to the Marijuana Tax Stamp of 1937, people received Cannabis Sativa tinctures and elixirs delivered right to their door by local doctors and pharmacists or purchased them at a local drug store. In fact, by the mid-1800's, cannabis was listed in the US Dispensatory for prescription and over the counter uses for uses such as improving appetite and libido. Ironically, the American Medical Association argued in support of cannabis, but their argument fell on deaf ears and Congress passed prohibition laws anyway.
Early Cannabinoid Research
Despite the legal status of the cannabis plant, research continued. Roger Adams, an early American scientist, first identified CBD in 1940, a couple of years before the discovery of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. While, today, we know THC causes the psychoactive effects associated with cannabis consumption, the first studies suggesting CBD had no cerebral effects took place in 1946.
Unfortunately, during the 60s and 70s, the increasing use of cannabis as a recreational substance caused most US-based research to become focused on the how the body metabolizes THC, while therapeutic studies fell to the wayside. However, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam successfully identified the chemical structure of CBD in 1963; and by the mid-70s, his research ultimately led to making CBD legal in Britain, as the UK released cannabis tincture for medical use in British Pharmacopoeia.
By the early 1980s, Mechoulam started doing clinical trials on the effects of cannabis on epilepsy in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Despite his research, which showed CBD was effective in reducing symptoms and improving the condition of all the participants in the study, his research received very little interest from the rest of the medical community. Mechoulam was once quoted saying, “Who cared about our findings? No one! And that’s despite many of the epilepsy patients being kids who have 20, 30, 40 seizures a day. And what did they do? Nothing! For 30 years, no one has used cannabis to treat epilepsy.”
Making CBD Legal... Again
Although cannabis and hemp were largely misunderstood for many decades, the discovery of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) by Mechoulam in the late 80s and early 90s is quickly changing perspectives. Since this groundbreaking discovery, much has been learned about the impact of the ECS. Research into the effects of cannabinoids extracted from hemp and cannabis is in progress in multiple countries, including not only the United States, but also Israel, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Austraila, the UK, and even Germany. In fact, a review published by researchers Pacher and Kunos, claims, "Modulating ECS activity may have therapeutic potential in almost ALL diseases affecting humans."
Starting in California in 1996, the movement to make CBD legal again has been growing across the nation. While the early days of legalization led to breeding high-THC strains of cannabis, thanks to the changing federal stance on hemp cultivation, high-CBD, low-THC hemp is finally getting the attention it deserves, as people from all over the world are reporting unprecedented benefits from supplementing with the non-psychoactive cannabinoid.
Try CBD for Yourself
Kured staff recognizes the potential of this amazing compound and is committed to helping others learn why changing the laws to make cannabis, and specifically CBD, legal is so vital – not only for the future of the legal hemp industry but for the future of how we approach everyday health and wellness.
Martch, like other members of the Kured team, supplements with CBD daily.
"I use it for body pain from old sports injuries," he said.
Like many others, Brand Manager Julia Sandoval stated she learned about the effects of CBD over the last year as the cannabinoid has gained popularity. Today, she supplements with legal CBD as a post-workout recovery serum, as well as a sleep aid.
"I implemented CBD into my nightly routine, and I sleep like a baby!" she exclaimed.
The Future of CBD
Nick Wattles, an Operations employee imagines, "CBD is going to exponentially become more popular as others discover the beneficial effects."
Additionally, as others learn about the therapeutic benefits from CBD, Wattles believes the positive effects of CBD will help to destigmatize the herb.
"It's been awesome to see this other cannabinoid from the same beautiful plant receive the studies and attention it deserves. And it's been a pleasure using and benefiting from it without getting the 'high' a lot of people negatively tie to the cannabis plant," Wattles said.
Regardless of your reasoning for supplementing with legal CBD, contact Kured today to start a health and wellness CBD regimen for yourself.
Kured is a proud partner of Leafbuyer Technologies, Inc.
