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The History of Smokable Hemp

Published November 19, 2020
The History of Smokable Hemp - Secret Nature

Hemp has been a constant companion of the human race for thousands of years. In The Botany of Desire, biologist Michael Pollan details how hemp played a critical role in historical development up until the relatively recent advent of cannabis prohibition.

How long have people smoked hemp, and how has smokable hemp changed over the centuries? Find the answers, and learn why Secret Nature occupies the apex of smokable hemp’s fascinating evolution.

How long have people smoked hemp?

Records of hemp use in China stretch back more than 6,000 years, and some sources indicate that human beings have used hemp since at least 10,000 BC. While ancient people primarily used hemp as a textile crop, this plant’s seeds were also eaten, and its flowers were used for medicinal purposes.

Hemp has a long medicinal history

The separation of Cannabis sativa phenotypes into “hemp” and “marijuana” is a relatively new classification. While different parts of the ancient world were home to distinct forms of cannabis, these subtypes were all alike in that the female plants had medicinal qualities while the male plants were primarily used for fiber.

It’s only recently that cannabis has been bred to be high in THC. In this process, genes that cause cannabis plants to produce CBD have been repressed, and THC-expressing genes have become dominant. While ancient cannabis still had higher concentrations of THC than CBD, the ratio between these cannabinoids was more balanced.

Therefore, ancient cannabis was less intoxicating and more medicinal. Ancient cannabis smokers certainly got high, but they also experienced the beneficial, non-intoxicating effects of CBD. Most modern strains of THC-rich cannabis, on the other hand, contain 1% CBD or less.

Medical cannabis pioneers established the difference between smokable hemp and marijuana

Discovered in 1940, CBD rapidly became a subject of significant interest among cannabis researchers. While clearly non-intoxicating, CBD offered potent medicinal benefits that rivaled those of THC.

It would be some time, however, before anyone outside of the academic community took notice of CBD. Practically ignored throughout the marijuana boom of the 1960s and 1970s, it wasn’t until pioneering states like California enacted the nation’s first medical marijuana programs that CBD came to the fore.

Recognizing the unique effects that specific strains of cannabis had on different patients, medical marijuana breeders sought to magnify certain attributes of the strains they produced. It was discovered that strains containing high concentrations of CBD and low concentrations of THC provided better relief from certain conditions while reducing the dependence potential of cannabis.

Industrial hemp leads to smokable hemp

Realizing that producing high-CBD cannabis strains could circumvent marijuana prohibition, breeders started experimenting with CBD-dominant strains in the early 2000s. With the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, a federal regulatory loophole appeared that allowed cannabis breeders in the United States to commercialize high-CBD cannabis strains that contained less than 0.3% THC.

The US smokable hemp industry remained relatively shaky, however, until the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law. This legislation gave the green light to nationwide cultivation of high-CBD, low-THC industrial hemp strains.

Instead of settling for producing hemp that’s only fit for extraction, certain industrial hemp manufacturers decided to cultivate high-CBD cannabis strains that reproduced the high-end characteristics of top-shelf medical or recreational weed. By switching the dominant cannabinoid from THC to CBD, hemp producers quickly created a bustling CBD-rich cannabis market featuring smokable flower products that replicated the manicured, indoor-grown dankness of high-grade marijuana buds.

Secret Nature represents the pinnacle of smokable hemp technology

Smokable hemp has gone through a series of impressive transformations over the centuries:

10000 BC

While historical records are scant, ancient, pre-agricultural peoples likely gathered wild hemp, dried its buds, and smoked them as part of ancient rituals or medical practices.

6000 BC

The dawn of agriculture saw the first organized attempts at human cannabis cultivation.

The Agricultural Revolution

During the 1600s, European countries dramatically evolved their agricultural processes, and hemp resumed its ancient role as a staple textile fiber.

Use of cannabis as a recreational drug

Starting in the 1800s, Europeans started following in the footsteps of Ancient India by smoking cannabis buds or rudimentary concentrates expressly to experience the psychoactive effects of CBD. Successive generations of Cannabis sativa became increasingly THC-rich.

Modern, indoor cannabis cultivation

Worldwide cannabis prohibition led to the rise of clandestine, indoor cultivation operations, and modern techniques like nutrient balancing and climate control came to the fore.

2014-2018

The legalization of industrial hemp led to an unprecedented boom of smokable hemp in the United States. Strains with CBD concentrations as high as 25% are now available, forever changing the dynamics of CBD consumption in the developed world.

Secret Nature sets the standard

Founded in 2017 by former medical marijuana producers, Secret Nature raised the bar for smokable hemp quality. Proving that smokable hemp doesn’t have to be low-concentration or outdoor-grown, Secret Nature uses modern technology to deliver CBD-rich hemp flower befitting the Information Age.

Indulge in the luxury of modern hemp flower

Without the pioneers of the past, modern smokable hemp would never have become a reality. We have to thank the ancient hunter-gatherers who originally decided that hemp was a desirable target for rudimentary horticulture as well as the 20th-century stoners who grew pot in their closets for decades.

As we stand on the shoulders of history, we can’t ignore how fantastically advanced the status of the modern smokable hemp industry has become. Utilizing technologies like living soil, LED lighting, and hermetically sealed climate control, Secret Nature produces picture-perfect smokable hemp strains like Frosted Kush, which looks, smells, and tastes like it’s something out of a dream.

It’s impossible to know exactly where the smokable hemp industry will take us as it evolves. In light of the incredible accomplishments we’ve achieved in such a short time, however, it’s reasonable to assume that the next 10, 15, and 20 years will usher in unprecedented advancements in smokable hemp quality and production technology.

No matter where the rapidly evolving hemp industry may take us, Secret Nature will remain dedicated to producing the highest-quality, most-potent smokable hemp products ever developed. Visit our shop to view the latest advancements that have shaken the smokable hemp industry.

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