We all know that a rose by any other word would smell as sweet, but there’s plenty more to know (and love) about the hemp flower. While their leaves are possibly the most recognisable part about them – those long, feather-like shoots arranged in a half-starburst shape – the flower is just as exciting, just as significant, and, in our opinion, just as fascinating.
In fact, hemp flowers have an incredibly long and illustrious global history. It represented a prized natural product long before Shakespeare sat down to muse over the smell of roses, and long before we even understood why hemp has such a unique effect on the mind and body.
So, while you might not be selecting the hemp flower for any bouquets in the near future (not that we’d turn that down), getting to know its unique role throughout history is a great way to spend your time. Keep reading to find out everything you need (and want) to know.
Hemp – a brief definition
Hemp is a particular botanical class of the cannabis sativa plant. In other words, it’s a part of a much bigger ‘cannabis family’ – but, contrary to widespread belief, it is not a catch-all term for cannabis. Hemp possesses a number of traits not shared by marijuana, although they do look very similar to one another – and share many of the same phytochemicals.
Hemp is a cultivar, which simply means that it was bred specifically by humans to feature the exact traits it now possesses. This is not the same thing as genetic modification; it’s simply a good example of strategic selection and cultivation. Many bananas, for instance, are cultivars, as well as maize, rice, pumpkins, and tomatoes.
The key piece of information worth remembering about hemp is that it features a negligible level of THC – the phytochemical that is responsible for the high created by smoking or ingesting marijuana. Specifically, hemp features a level of 0.3% or less; any more than that, and it is legally defined as marijuana.
What it lacks in THC it tends to make up for in CBD – that all-the-rage phytochemical with a long list of potential health benefits.
Of course, this means that the most significant difference between THC and CBD is found in their chemical makeup. It’s hard to tell a hemp flower from a marijuana bud just on sight alone, which is why it’s important to only shop from a reputable seller.
The Hemp Flower
The flower or ‘bud’ of the cannabis sativa plant is one of the more…unique…flowers the natural world has to offer.
Instead of petals, it has ‘trichomes’ – a fancy word for small, stubby hairs that give the bud a dewy appearance. The bud itself comprises many small clusters of buds interspersed with smaller leaves (together, known as bracts) – and, depending on the strain, little flashes of colour (particularly purple or orange).
The hemp flower does have a sweet small. To the uninitiated, the smell can seem quite pungent (and definitely unique), but, as with wine or coffee, familiarity tends to sharpen the nose, and allow experts to distinguish many nuances between the smell of one hemp flower and the next. They can be earthy, sweet, citrussy, or, in the case of our Cookie Monster CBD Flower, biscuity in smell and flavour. It all depends on the strain, and the grower’s intention.
Where Hemp Use Began
The cannabis sativa plant is native to East Asia, and early archaeological records show that it has been used for thousands of years. Initially, it was harvested for its fibres, which could be woven together to create a strong, hard-wearing textile. It is so hard-wearing, in fact, that it was eventually used to create rope – rope that was used for the rigging on ships. These fibres were stripped from the stem of the plant.
The hemp plant’s versatility meant that, as trade routes grew around the world, it was transported and traded between many, many disparate countries. Its ability to grow under a variety of conditions made it very easy to cultivate and, over thousands of years, the sheer number of strains continued to multiply.
The flower itself offers its own uses. Its seeds, which develop inside the buds, were eaten and pressed to create an oil rich in CBD. The flowers were dried and smoked – at times, for ceremonial purposes. It’s worth remembering that, at the time (and until relatively recently), it was not possible for growers to make the same distinction between hemp and marijuana that we do today, since testing for THC content was impossible. There is, however, evidence of selective breeding and smoking that date back over 2,500 years.
How it Evolved
Hemp thrived as a popular and versatile plant across much of human history. In fact, America’s Founding Fathers were so taken by the hemp plant that farmers were legally obligated to grow it.
It was only in the past few hundred years that a stigma, borne off the back of prejudice and prohibition, arose around the cannabis plant. While hemp’s low THC content meant that it was not ostracised to quite the same extremes (and, as a result, is not subject to the same strict laws for cultivation, selling, possession, and use) there are still plenty of misconceptions out there.
Nevertheless, hemp is a potent source of CBD – and, as you likely know by now, our growing understanding of CBD and its potential benefits for users is helping to change public perception, and to encourage people to do their own research into this fascinating plant.
The Turning Point: CBD Isolation
While, admittedly, the discovery of hemp (and its uses) will always represent the biggest turning point in its history, the next biggest turning point falls around the 1940s, when CBD was first isolated from the rest of the plant’s phytochemicals by organic chemist Roger Adams.
Interestingly, THC wasn’t isolated for another few years, and the exact chemical structure of the two compounds (and the differences between them) were not fully understood until the second half of the twentieth century. Still, the wheels were in motion – and the taboo on the cannabis sativa plant was slowly lifting.
By the late 1980s, another ground-breaking discovery pulled the CBD flower even further out of the taboo it had fallen into in many parts of the world. The body’s most significant system of receptors, known as the endocannabinoid system, was discovered. A few years later and, as a result, the door to understanding the unique ways in which the body interacts with CBD was opened.
The endocannabinoid system influences a very long (and diverse) list of functions and processes within the body – some that affect us physically (such as digestion and sleep), and others that affect us in other ways (such as mood). The body produces its own endocannabinoids and, while we don’t know precisely what happens when they meet with CBD, we know that the reaction is unique and, potentially, very positive for our health and wellbeing.
One key caveat here as that there is still a lot to be discovered before any definitive health claims can be made. This is something we explain in more detail in our guide to the health benefits of CBD.
New research led to new legislation and, in 2018, it became possible for people to buy CBD in the UK (although, as you know, THC is still a controlled substance). An entire industry established itself in a matter of months and continued to grow from there.
The Future of Hemp
The hemp plant may not produce the most flowery of flowers, but we like to think that anyone who takes the time to learn about it will recognise plenty of beauty in this unique bud. Its distinctive appearance, smell, and effect are indistinguishable from a long and, admittedly, complicated history, but progress is coming thick and fast.
For anyone who understands the history of this flower, the fact that more and more people are exploring CBD for themselves is incredibly gratifying. Our lives may be unrecognisable compared with the lives of those who first discovered hemp’s properties, but the process of exploring, experiencing, and discovering that relationship for ourselves is still the same.
No one knows quite what the future holds, and quite how much space we will create for the cannabis sativa plant to be appreciated for what it is, but we are confident that the hemp flower is here to stay.
Its naturally high concentration of CBD means that it sits at the very forefront of it all, and the team here at DozeCBD feel very lucky to have a front row seat to this next chapter in the very long history of a miraculous plant.
These days, it’s possible to use the hemp flower in any number of ways. Whether you choose to utilise the whole flower, or, instead, invest in a CBD isolate, edible, oil or flavoured vape cart, the hemp flower’s evolution from a simple, unassuming plant to one of the most versatile ingredients out there will always be one of our favourite topics of conversation.
