CBD in the world. From history to today

You may think that CBD or cannabidiol is a modern phenomenon. However, the opposite is true and CBD has been around for a few decades. In the 1940s, an American chemist named Roger Adams managed to isolate CBD. but its effects were not known until the beginning of the millennium.

CBD locations in the world

It was thanks to Adams’ discovery that CBD research could be taken to the next level and scientists began to investigate its effects. However, due to the lack of scientific equipment at the time, the research did not yield the expected results, and it was not until the 1960s that the world saw CBD as an ineffective component of the cannabis plant.

Raphael Mechoulam – “the godfather of cannabis”

While cannabis research has been put on hold in America because of the great anti-drug “war on drugs” campaign, in the rest of the world scientists have been trying to figure out what causes the effects that cannabis has on humans. The breakthrough came in 1964, when Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam succeeded in completely isolating CBD and THC to describe their structure and chemical properties. While THC was described as a narcotic, CBD was classified as a non-narcotic substance with undoubtedly positive effects. However, the US anti-drug campaign has listed CBD, along with drugs such as LSD or heroin, as narcotic substances with no potential therapeutic effect.

Research shifted significantly again in 1988 when two American scientists found cannabinoid receptors in the mouse body and later when they discovered cannabinoids naturally occurring in our bodies. Subsequently, the entire endocannabinoid system was discovered, with CB1 and CB2 receptors responding to cannabinoids such as CBD or THC.

However, the world was not yet ready for these positive findings on CBD and there was still a stigma surrounding all studies on CBD.

The British Epidiolex and Progressive America

A significant milestone in the legalisation of CBD oil in the US was in 2000, when the world heard the story of Charlotte from Colorado, who was diagnosed with multiple epilepsy syndromes as a toddler. A parental experiment with CBD oil administration helped reduce the number of seizures from 300 per week to less than 5 per month. Shortly after, a British pharmaceutical company launched the pure CBD drug Epidiolex specifically for the Dravet syndrome from which Charlotte suffered.

In 2014, the US succeeded in legalising cannabis and its extracts with THC content below 0.3%. Also, money has been set aside for cannabis research due to the economics of the environment and the health of America. In 2018, cannabis was fully legalized in America, opening up endless opportunities for the production and sale of cannabis products.

CBD in Slovakia

While the world has long known the positive effects of CBD, in Slovakia the law did not allow any products containing hemp extracts. This only changed in May last year (2021). At that time, an amendment to the law on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances came into force, from which CBD – cannabidiol was excluded, and so we were the last to join the remaining member states of the European Union, where CBD is not included in the group of psychotropic substances.

Although customers can already legally buy CBD products in Slovakia, they must not be food. In Slovakia, as well as throughout the European Union, CBD and other cannabinoids are not on the list of permitted foods and therefore are not allowed in such products.

Interesting facts about CBD in the world

• The largest CBD market is in the United States
• The top 3 states are California, Florida and New York
• CBD oil is the most popular in the UK, according to an internet search engine
• In the United Arab Emirates, Singapore or Saudi Arabia, you could face up to 12 years in prison for taking CBD oil
• China is the largest producer of hemp in the world
• France accounts for 37% of European hemp production, Italy is another important producer

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