In German, the name of the hemp plant is Hanf. It is known that many European societies cultivated hemp for its fibers, but the history of cannabis in Germany dates back to the late Stone Age. Archaeological evidence of cannabis seeds from at least 7,500 years ago has been found in the Thuringia region, from the early Germanic period and the 5th century. The name hemp comes from the old English word henep and is of Germanic origin, related to both Dutch hennep and German hanf.
The European definition of “hemp” takes a more commercial orientation to describe cannabis cultivars cultivated to produce stems, fibers or seeds that are characterized by a low THC content. Throughout North America, CBD is extracted largely from drug cultivars that are much more closely genetically related to modern, high-THC (seedless cannabis) seedless seeds (seedless cannabis) than to fiber and hemp seed cultivars. Hemp fiber and fabrics also acquired ritual significance in traditional cultures and are still considered to have purifying, protective and healing powers today. The British use of “hemp” is broader, and the Oxford English Dictionary defines “hemp” as a term for the cannabis plant, especially when cultivated for its fiber, as well as a name for other plants with fiber, and as a term for “drug cannabis”, such as Indian hemp or hemp drugs.
By defining “hemp” as cannabis plants and cannabis products containing less than 0.3% THC (in most countries) and not on the part of the plant and end use, “hemp is now not only a fiber and seed plant, but also an industrial, chemical and pharmaceutical crop. During von Linné's life, no explanation was needed about the uses of hemp or how it grew; people cultivated it mainly for its fibers. By then, “hemp” had already become a collective term for similar fiber plants and is still so today, such as Manila hemp and sisal hemp. A Royal Decree allows farmers to grow up to 25 varieties of hemp in Spain and the seeds must be certified by the European Union.
However, there is still no local market to absorb demand for industrial hemp, as it is still illegal in many countries. The ban on hemp cultivation in Germany was not lifted until 2001 with the decriminalization, and in 2003 the new drug law allowed the growth of industrial hemp. Many interesting facts from the history of hemp show that countries had happy and lasting relationships with the plant and its products. In acupuncture, they used hemp to burn it in a process called moxibustion, which was later replaced by sagebrush. In Europe and Asia, economically significant CBD yields of between 2 and 5% are extracted from the flowers of “industrial” hemp crops with multiple products, from which fiber and seeds are also harvested. Hemp has been an important part of German culture since ancient times.
Its use has evolved over time from being used mainly for its fibers to being used for medicinal purposes as well as industrial applications. Hemp has been used in traditional cultures for its purifying, protective and healing powers. Today it is still illegal in many countries but is slowly becoming more accepted due to its many uses.
