The Past and The Future of Cannabis in The UK

The United Kingdom has a long, strange, and totally confusing history of the hemp. The cannabis has been used for over 1000 years in the United Kingdom in the clothing, food, fiber, and CBD oil industries. This is because of the psychoactive effects of the hemp.

The History of Cannabis in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has, in the past centuries, used cannabis in various fields as discussed below:

The past of the United Kingdom saw the hemp being used for making papers.

The cannabis seeds were rich sources of protein and oil in the food industries.

The industries would extract the fiber from the hemp which is very useful in the production of clothes.

  • The hemp was used in making ropes for ships in the navy. This made Henry VII order rich landowners to plant the hemp in order to supply enough ropes for his navy.
  • It was used for medical purposes. This can be traced back to 1842 when the East India Company brought the herb from Bengal and specialists claimed that it had anticonvulsant effects on patients. In no time, the medical use of the hemp expanded and was used to relieve menstrual cramps, coughs, insomnia, inflation of the throat, and withdrawal symptoms.

Thus, the use of cannabis was in the market and widely used for many years in the United Kingdom. The use of the hemp later spread to the rest of the British empire.

Understanding more about Cannabidiol (CBD)

Cannabidiol is a phytocannabinoids present in the hemp plant. The CBD is found to have unique effects on the nervous system that are found throughout the whole body and the brain. The CBD is non- psychoactive, thus making it safe to use.

How Cannabis Became Illegal in the United Kingdom

The sale of cannabis was made illegal due to efforts made by most British colonies during the 19th century. Britain was selling a lot of cannabis to these colonies, and when they got their independence, they pushed for the illegalization of the hemp. These former colonies like India and China pushed for the prohibition of the hemp during the 1928 International Opium Convention. The countries themselves prohibited the sale of cannabis immediately after they got their independence. In the United Kingdom, the Dangerous Drug Act of 1920 was enacted, making the use of cannabis illegal in the United Kingdom.

However, the ban on the drug was little felt by the British population as it was widely used by the immigrant populations. At this time, the United States made cannabis illegal.

The Future of the Hemp in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom will soon have to legalize cannabis as countries like Uruguay and Canada has taken the lead. The illegalization was done without any scientific review of its side effects. The cost and gains accrued from the ban have not been reviewed. Many personalities have come out clear, pushing for the legalization of cannabis.

The ban has continued to see people being sent to jail because of using it. This means that the population is still using the hemp due to benefits accrued from the usage of the hemp. The use of CBD oil is currently on the rise in Britain.

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