When you think of hemp, does your brain conjure up imagery of beatniks, hippies, or hipsters? You might not be wrong, but hemp’s history in the United States is way more deeply rooted than that. Before it became known as a popular wellness supplement, it was used in the U.S.—and throughout cultures around the world—across all aspects of life. Bear Reel, plant breeder and Head of Cultivation Research & Development for CBD market leader Charlotte’s Web, sat down to shed some light on the history of hemp, the misunderstood plant within the cannabis family that Charlotte’s Web cultivates for its full-spectrum hemp extract.
“Historically, often in clandestine operations, people over time selected cannabis plants that would get them intoxicated,” Reel says.
