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The History of the Hemp Plant: From Ancient Civilizations to Modern CBD
- Romas Marcin
- Mar 31
- 10 min read
Quick takeaway: Hemp has been cultivated by humans for at least 10,000 years — making it one of the oldest cultivated plants in human history. The plant was used widely across ancient civilizations for fiber, paper, food, and other industrial purposes. Hemp was a major American agricultural commodity from the colonial era through the early 20th century, was effectively criminalized by the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, briefly rebounded during WWII's "Hemp for Victory" program, then largely disappeared from U.S. agriculture until the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills brought it back as a legal commodity.
The hemp plant's history is longer and more woven into human civilization than most people realize. This guide walks through the plant's journey — from ancient origins through its U.S. revival — with appropriate context for some of the more popular hemp historical claims.
Hemp's Ancient Origins
Archaeological evidence places hemp cultivation among the oldest in human agricultural history:
Around 8,000 BCE — evidence of hemp cord and pottery imprints from what is now China, suggesting widespread cultivation
Around 6,000 BCE — hemp seeds documented as food sources in Chinese records
Around 4,000 BCE — hemp fiber widely used for clothing and textiles in China and surrounding regions
Around 1,500 BCE — hemp ropes and sails appearing in Mediterranean cultures
Around 100 BCE — hemp paper invented in China, predating other paper-making methods by centuries
These dates come from archaeological findings — pottery imprints, preserved hemp fibers, and historical records. Exact dates vary by source, but the broad pattern is consistent: hemp has been cultivated by humans for thousands of years across multiple civilizations.
Why hemp? The plant has practical advantages that explain its widespread adoption:
Fast-growing (typically 70-90 days to maturity)
Tolerates many soil conditions
Produces strong fiber that's well-suited to ropes, sails, and textiles
Seeds are nutritionally dense and can be eaten or pressed for oil
Grows in dense plantings that resist weeds and pests
For pre-industrial civilizations, these properties made hemp an exceptionally useful crop.
Hemp Across Ancient Civilizations
Hemp cultivation spread across multiple ancient cultures:
Ancient China — perhaps the longest-documented hemp culture, using the plant for fiber, food, and paper production. Hemp paper from this region predates European paper-making by over a thousand years.
Ancient Egypt — hemp fibers found in Egyptian archaeological sites and used in various practical applications.
Mesopotamia and Persia — hemp cultivation widespread for textile production.
Ancient Greece and Rome — hemp rope critical to naval power; Greek and Roman sources describe hemp cultivation and use extensively.
Vikings and Northern Europe — hemp ropes and sails enabled Viking maritime expansion. Hemp seeds carried on voyages served as both food and seed stock for new settlements.
Pre-Columbian Americas — different forms of fiber-producing plants existed in the Americas before European contact, though Cannabis sativa hemp specifically was likely introduced by European settlers.
Hemp Comes to the Americas
European settlers brought Cannabis sativa hemp to the Americas as a critical agricultural commodity. The Spanish introduced hemp to Mexico in the 1500s, and English colonists brought it to the early Atlantic colonies in the 1600s.
The hemp mandate era:
In 1619, the Virginia Company passed a law requiring colonial farmers to grow hemp. The crop was considered so essential to colonial economic survival that growing it became a legal obligation rather than a choice. Similar mandates followed in:
Massachusetts (1631)
Connecticut (1632)
Various other colonies in subsequent decades
Hemp was used for sails, ropes, paper, clothing, and was so commercially important that for a period it could be used as legal tender to pay taxes in some colonies. This wasn't a fringe agricultural product — it was a foundational crop for colonial economies.
The Founding Fathers and Hemp
Several U.S. founders had documented relationships with hemp cultivation:
George Washington — well-documented hemp grower at Mount Vernon. His agricultural records reference hemp cultivation across multiple years.
Thomas Jefferson — grew hemp at Monticello and wrote about it in his agricultural correspondence. Often credited with the quote "Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country" — though this specific attribution is sometimes contested.
John Adams — less directly documented as a hemp grower than Washington or Jefferson, but wrote in newspaper essays about hemp's importance to the colonial economy.
A note on the "Declaration of Independence on hemp paper" claim: This is a popular hemp-community claim that's been repeated widely but is historically contested.
The official, signed Declaration of Independence was written on parchment (animal skin). Some drafts may have been written on hemp paper given hemp paper's widespread use at the time, but this isn't well-documented as fact. The Declaration story tends to overstate what's actually historically established.
The accurate version: hemp paper was common in colonial America, and founders including Washington and Jefferson did grow hemp. But the specific "Declaration written on hemp" claim should be hedged rather than presented as established fact.
Hemp's Industrial Era
Through the 1800s, hemp remained a significant U.S. agricultural commodity:
Hemp ropes and sails continued to support American maritime trade
Hemp fiber was a major textile component before cotton's rise
Kentucky became the leading hemp-producing state, with substantial hemp acreage through the 1850s
Civil War era saw temporary hemp production increases as wartime fiber demand grew
By the late 1800s, however, several factors began reducing hemp's commercial role:
Cotton mechanization made cotton more competitive
Imported jute and abaca fibers became cheaper alternatives for some hemp uses
Synthetic fiber development in the early 20th century created additional competition
Hemp's decline in this era was driven primarily by economic competition, not regulation — that came later.
The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937
The decisive shift in U.S. hemp policy came with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 — federal legislation that effectively criminalized cannabis cultivation, including hemp.
What the Act actually did:
The Marijuana Tax Act didn't technically ban hemp or marijuana outright. Instead, it:
Required anyone growing, selling, or transferring cannabis to register with the federal government
Imposed substantial taxes and complex paperwork requirements
Created penalties for non-compliance that made commercial cannabis cultivation practically impossible
The Act didn't legally distinguish between low-THC hemp and high-THC marijuana — both fell under the same regulatory framework. This had the effect of essentially eliminating commercial U.S. hemp cultivation, even though hemp had legitimate non-intoxicating industrial uses.
The political context:
The 1937 Act emerged from a complex mix of factors:
Concerns about marijuana use in immigrant and minority communities (often discussed in racially charged terms during the era)
Lobbying from competing industries (including some accounts implicating the synthetic fiber and timber industries)
Public misunderstanding of the differences between hemp and marijuana
Anti-cannabis propaganda campaigns conducted by federal officials
Historians continue to debate the relative weight of these factors. What's clear is that the practical result — effective elimination of U.S. hemp cultivation — happened regardless of the precise mix of motivations.
World War II and "Hemp for Victory"
The 1937 Act's effective elimination of U.S. hemp production created a problem during World War II. American military supplies depended on imported fibers:
Manila hemp (abaca) from the Philippines — used for naval ropes (note: Manila "hemp" is actually a banana plant, not cannabis hemp — common historical confusion)
Jute from India — used for canvas and bags
When Japan occupied the Philippines in 1941, supplies of Manila abaca were cut off. The U.S. military suddenly needed alternative fiber sources for parachutes, ropes, naval supplies, and other wartime materials.
The "Hemp for Victory" program:
In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a campaign encouraging American farmers to grow hemp for the war effort. The USDA produced a 1942 film called "Hemp for Victory" explaining hemp's military importance and instructing farmers on cultivation techniques.
The program included:
Lifting hemp restrictions for the war's duration
Tax stamp exemptions for hemp farmers contributing to the war effort
The War Hemp Industries Corporation — a federal entity coordinating hemp production
Educational outreach to farmers including the famous USDA film
American farmers produced substantial hemp crops during the war years, supporting military supply needs.
After the war:
Once Japan was defeated and supply chains restored, the federal government allowed hemp restrictions to return. The "Hemp for Victory" program ended, and U.S. hemp cultivation declined again over subsequent decades.
The Modern Decline (1950s-2014)
In the decades following WWII, U.S. hemp cultivation effectively disappeared:
1970 — the Controlled Substances Act classified cannabis (including hemp) as a Schedule I controlled substance
1970s-2000s — hemp products were generally only available as imports from countries where cultivation remained legal (Canada, China, France, others)
U.S. hemp farming became practically nonexistent during this era
During this period, hemp products you could buy in the U.S. (hemp seeds, hemp oil, hemp clothing) were almost entirely imported. American hemp farming as an industry no longer existed.
The Modern Hemp Revival (2014 to Today)
The modern U.S. hemp industry's story is recent enough that it's still being written:
2014 Farm Bill — Pilot Programs
The 2014 Farm Bill included a provision (Section 7606) that allowed limited hemp cultivation under state agricultural agencies for research and pilot purposes. This was the first crack in decades of U.S. hemp prohibition.
By 2018, over 3,500 American farmers were participating in pilot hemp programs across multiple states. This pilot program era laid the groundwork for full legalization.
2018 Farm Bill — Full Legalization
The 2018 Farm Bill (officially the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018), signed into law on December 20, 2018, fully legalized hemp at the federal level. The bill:
Defined hemp as cannabis containing 0.3% THC or less by dry weight
Removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act
Gave the USDA regulatory oversight of hemp production
Made hemp eligible for federal agricultural programs (crop insurance, USDA loans, etc.)
For a detailed look at what the 2018 Farm Bill did and what's happened since, see our 2018 Farm Bill guide.
Post-2018 Developments
Since the 2018 Farm Bill, the hemp industry has continued to evolve:
USDA finalized hemp production regulations following the Farm Bill
Most states adopted their own hemp programs within the USDA framework
The CBD product market expanded dramatically — though FDA-specific CBD regulations remained incomplete
The Delta-8 THC controversy emerged as an unintended regulatory gap from the 2018 Farm Bill
The 2018 Farm Bill is currently operating under extensions as Congress debates the next reauthorization
The 2024+ Farm Bill is expected to address some of the regulatory gaps that emerged after 2018, though the timeline remains uncertain.
The Current State of Hemp
Today, hemp has returned as a legitimate U.S. agricultural commodity for the first time in roughly 80 years. Modern hemp uses include:
CBD and cannabinoid extracts — the largest commercial hemp segment by revenue
Hemp food products — hemp seeds, hemp protein, hemp oil
Hemp fiber — used in textiles, building materials (hempcrete), insulation, and biofuels
Industrial applications — hemp paper, hemp plastics, hemp composites
Hemp has come full circle from foundational colonial crop, through 80 years of prohibition, to a modern agricultural and consumer category that continues to grow.
The plant's underlying value propositions — fast growth, soil tolerance, fiber strength, nutritional seeds — remain as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago. What's changed is the regulatory framework and the product categories built on hemp's biological properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has hemp been cultivated?
Archaeological evidence suggests hemp has been cultivated for at least 10,000 years, with some of the earliest evidence coming from what is now China around 8,000 BCE. This makes hemp one of the oldest cultivated plants in human history.
Did the Founding Fathers grow hemp?
Yes, several did. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are both well-documented as hemp growers at their respective estates. John Adams wrote about hemp's importance though is less directly documented as a grower. Hemp was a major colonial crop, so many farmers of the era grew it.
Was the Declaration of Independence written on hemp paper?
This is a popular hemp-community claim that's actually contested historically. The official signed Declaration was written on parchment (animal skin), not hemp paper. Some drafts may have been written on hemp paper given hemp paper's prevalence at the time, but this isn't well-documented as established fact.
Why was hemp criminalized in the US?
The 1937 Marijuana Tax Act effectively criminalized all cannabis, including non-intoxicating hemp, by imposing taxes and registration requirements that made commercial cultivation impractical. The Act emerged from a complex mix of factors including concerns about marijuana use, industry lobbying, and public misunderstanding of hemp/marijuana distinctions.
What was the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937?
A federal law that didn't technically ban cannabis outright but imposed registration requirements, taxes, and penalties that effectively eliminated commercial U.S. cannabis cultivation — including industrial hemp. The Act treated hemp and marijuana under the same framework despite their different uses.
What was "Hemp for Victory"?
A U.S. government program during World War II that encouraged American farmers to grow hemp for military supply needs after Japan's occupation of the Philippines cut off imports of Manila abaca fiber. The USDA produced a 1942 film called "Hemp for Victory" promoting hemp cultivation. Restrictions returned after the war.
When did hemp become legal again in the US?
The path back to legality came in two stages. The 2014 Farm Bill created limited pilot programs for state-supervised hemp research. The 2018 Farm Bill fully legalized hemp at the federal level by defining it as cannabis containing 0.3% THC or less and removing it from the Controlled Substances Act.
What did the 2014 Farm Bill do?
The 2014 Farm Bill (Section 7606) created pilot programs allowing limited hemp cultivation under state agricultural agencies for research purposes. This was the first crack in decades of prohibition and laid the groundwork for full legalization in 2018.
What did the 2018 Farm Bill do?
The 2018 Farm Bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018) fully legalized hemp at the federal level, defining it as cannabis with 0.3% THC or less, removing it from the Controlled Substances Act, placing USDA oversight on hemp production, and making hemp eligible for federal agricultural programs.
What's the difference between historical hemp use and modern CBD?
Historically, hemp was grown primarily for fiber, food, paper, and other industrial applications. Modern hemp has those same uses, plus a major new category: CBD and other cannabinoid extracts for consumer products. The plant is largely the same; the product applications have expanded substantially.
Final Thoughts
Hemp's history is one of the longer agricultural stories humanity has. The plant has been cultivated continuously across multiple civilizations for thousands of years, played a foundational role in early American agriculture, was effectively eliminated by 20th-century drug policy, and has returned as a legitimate U.S. commodity in just the past decade.
The plant itself hasn't changed much across this history — hemp does the same things today (produces fiber, seeds, and cannabinoids) that it did in ancient China. What's changed is regulation, technology, and the specific applications humans build on hemp's biological properties.
For modern consumers, understanding hemp's history provides useful context for how the plant became a controlled substance in the 20th century and how the current legal hemp industry emerged from 2014 onward.
About the Author
Romas Marcin — Founder, GoGreen Hemp
Romas founded GoGreen Hemp in 2016 and has spent nearly a decade studying cannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, and the hemp industry. As a manufacturer for over sixty CBD brands across the U.S., he has direct experience with hemp as a modern agricultural commodity — a category that's only existed for about a decade after eighty years of prohibition.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Hemp-derived products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. This article provides general historical and educational information.
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