History

Cannabis (and hemp) cultivation and use have undergone eras of both prosperity and restriction in the United Kingdom. It was cultivated for centuries throughout the UK, and at times the monarchy even mandated hemp production. Hemp fibre was used to make ship sails and other heavy-strength fabrics. 

In the UK, the hemp plant has been subject to various hyperbolic regulations depending on the political climate and time period. Under the order of monarchs like King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth I, hemp was an incredibly important plant that British farmers were required to grow by law to sustain both the country and the Navy.

Historians and researchers have worked to unveil the complex history of the cannabis plant within the UK, from its cultivation and consumption, to its numerous changes regarding legal standing. We know that cannabis hemp plants were grown relentlessly in the UK for industrial purposes during the reign of King Henry VIII, and were often made into ropes, bindings, and sails used by the British Navy.

The rich history of medical cannabis can be found in some of the earth’s earliest records, where the plant appears under a variety of names (depending on the text's original language). Dating back over 4,000 years, records from ancient China to the modern day repeatedly reference the medical potential and associated benefits of the cannabis plant on the human body.