A Short History of Hemp in Medicine
Published by Herbal Edge | Education Blog
Hemp has been part of human medicine for as long as medicine has existed. Ancient records from China, India, and the Middle East describe cannabis preparations historically used for discomfort, inflammation, and mood balance. In the 19th century, U.S. physicians prescribed cannabis tinctures as routine remedies, and these extracts were listed in the American Pharmacopeia alongside other plant-based medicines such as morphine and belladonna.
For decades, hemp was treated as an ordinary botanical; useful, dependable, and uncontroversial. That changed in 1937 when the Marijuana Tax Act effectively outlawed all forms of cannabis, including non-intoxicating hemp. The plant disappeared from both farms and pharmacies for nearly eighty years.
The FDA’s Historical Blind Spot
When the 2018 Farm Bill re-legalized industrial hemp, it reopened the door to the study and sale of hemp-derived compounds like CBD. Yet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a narrow stance: because CBD was first investigated and later approved as a prescription drug (Epidiolex), the agency concludes it cannot also be marketed as a dietary supplement.
This position is based on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act’s “drug-exclusion rule”, which states that ingredients first studied or approved as drugs are excluded from the supplement category unless they were already lawfully marketed as supplements or foods beforehand.
The irony, of course, is that hemp extracts were clearly used in medicine for generations before prohibition. While the FDA’s policy is technically correct under modern law, it overlooks the deeper history of hemp’s long-standing place in traditional and formal medicine alike.
Why This Classification Matters
This technical distinction carries major consequences for public access and affordability. If the FDA enforces its interpretation strictly, it could limit over-the-counter CBD products to prescription-only status, effectively transferring control of hemp extracts from the open supplement market to a few pharmaceutical manufacturers.
For consumers, that could mean higher prices, fewer options, and reduced access to hemp-based products that many already include in their personal wellness routines. Small, transparent producers (those who emphasize independent testing and quality) could be forced out of the market, replaced by patented, single-source versions of compounds that have always been part of traditional remedies.
Even more concerning, the precedent set by CBD could extend to other botanicals under research. If any naturally occurring compound can be reclassified as a “drug ingredient” once studied by a pharmaceutical company, this approach could threaten the entire category of plant-based remedies from turmeric and resveratrol to adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha or reishi.
In short, the FDA’s interpretation doesn’t just affect hemp. It risks rewriting the boundaries between natural medicine and corporate medicine altogether.
Remembering the Roots
Recognizing hemp’s history helps clarify the present debate. Before it became controversial, hemp was simply another tool in the apothecary valued for its versatility, safety, and longstanding reputation as a plant-based remedy. As modern research continues, it’s worth remembering that the story of hemp in medicine didn’t begin in a laboratory. It began in the field.
Obligatory Disclaimer
The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Statements regarding hemp or CBD have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
