Hemp is extremely therapeutic, containing CBD and essential fatty acids. But did you know also that hemp has a colourful Canadian past? Read these notable facts on the highs and lows of hemp in Canada:

• 1606: The very first Canadian hemp crop was planted in Port Royal, Arcadia (now known as Nova Scotia) by Louis Hebert, a french botanist.
• Early 1800s: Hemp seeds were given to Canadian farmers, which were distributed by Upper Canada’s Lieutenant Governor to help boost the hemp industry.
• 1928: The House of Commons attempt to inspire Canadian farmers to grow hemp.
• 1938: According to the Regina Leader-Post, this was the year when “hemp production was outlawed under the Opium and Narcotic Drug Act. Governments around the world were trying to stop the abuse of [THC] and other controlled substances, and hemp was misguidedly included.”
• 1961: Hemp was considered illegal after WWII; however, in 1961, Health Canada allowed a certain amount of hemp to be used for scientific reasons.
• 1980s-1990s: A demand in Canada was noticed for new sources of fibre. A large interest in hemp piqued the Canadian agricultural industry, which helped generate many new jobs.
• 1994-1998: Scientific research proves that hemp can be grown independently from cannabis (a.k.a cannabis).
• 1998: the first license in Canada was issued to grow commercial industrial hemp.

Do you want to learn more about hemp? Click here to read “8 Quick Facts You Never Knew About Hemp.”

 

References:

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/producing-selling-hemp/about-hemp-canada-hemp-industry/frequently-asked-questions.html#a1

“Hemp: The misguided story of cannabis’s cousin” by Ashley Robinson, Regina Leader-Post, posted on July 13, 2017, viewed on December 23, 2019.

“How did Canada get here? A timeline of Cannabis and Hemp from Prohibition to Legalization” by Sydney Perelmutter, the Growth-Op, posted July 19, 2019, viewed on Deember 23, 2019.