Did you know that cannabis has 5000 years of documented medical use? It even appears in the oldest known medical textbook, dating to 1550 BCE, from Egypt. Mummified cannabis and pollen has been unearthed by archaeologists, and seeds were found in ancient Viking ships. Cannabis reached the west on these migratory vessels, eventually arriving on our continent. This beneficial plant has toured the world!
Not many people know about cannabis’ history in Canada. In 1606, Louis Hebert, a botanist and apothecary, planted the first cannabis crop in what is now Nova Scotia. Production peaked between the 1850s to the early 1900s for both medical and industrial uses.
Even in those days, Canadians were using cannabis extract for many common ailments, such as chronic pain, poor appetite, migraine headaches, depression, and menstrual cramps. Mention of cannabis is frequently found in the archives of medical journals. Dr. F.W. Goodwin, president of the Nova Scotia Medical Association, lectured about cannabis as medicine in 1897. By 1916, American colleague Dr. William Osler, co-founder of Johns Hopkins, documented cannabis as the best treatment for migraine headaches.
Thankfully, our understanding of cannabis continues to improve. Modern hybridization techniques allow Licensed Producers to create unique varieties, targeting specific benefits and helping millions of patients worldwide.
