Despite the recent boom in the popularity of CBD, the health benefits that it brings to users have actually been known for many years. In fact, the first ever documented use by an individual comes from as early as 2737 BC and was done so by the then emperor of China, Sheng Nung. he openly drank tea that was infused with cannabis leaves in order to treat various different health conditions, including rheumatism, malaria, and gout. Later on in history, it was used by Queen Victoria of England in order to stop the cramps experienced when menstruating. This was done in the year 1901.
This goes to show that all through history, CBD has been seen for exactly what it is – a strong natural therapeutic. It has only been during modern medicine times that it has not been widely recognized for what it is. This is because there was / is a lock of hard evidence to back up the many anecdotal claims made about it.
Evidence of CBD benefits
It was the medical researcher and physician, William B. O’Shaughnessy, who first published findings that highlighted the therapeutic effects of the cannabis plant. This was in 1839. Considered highly contentious and even controversial at the time, the research looked into the effects of CBD and went on to list all of the potential medical benefits – a main one being anesthesia. This was a defining point that opened up the door to further research and investigation.
Early days of research
In the very early days of scientific research into CBD, the science was very limited and there was only a very partial understanding of the composition of the various compounds that are contained within the cannabis plant. As a result, it was difficult to determine exactly which of the molecules inside of it were causing the therapeutic effects.
A big breakthrough came in 1963 and was made by Dr Raphael Mechoulam who further developed the scientific community’s understanding of the effects of CBD by successfully isolating and identifying its stereochemistry. A year after this he also discovered the stereochemistry of THC – another compound that is contained within the cannabis plant.
It was during the 1980s that Dr Mechoulam looked into the potential for treating patients who suffered with epilepsy with CBD. During the research, he found that it was successful in stopping seizures in the vast majority of the patients in the study.
CBD use today
Fast forward to the present day and the outlook on CBD in both America and the rest of the Western world has changed dramatically. No longer is it ignored or opposed, and instead its potential health benefits are widely recognised, which has seen a large uptake in people taking CBD oil, such as penguin cbd. It is used by people from all parts of society and ethnic backgrounds and is used to treat a variety of different medical ailments. However, cbd oil for pain is the main reason that many people use it for medicinal reasons.
