From hempseed gruel to CBD: the curious history of cannabis as a health product

Posted on 21 March 2025 • Education, languages and health, Health

The cannabis-derived product CBD has been hailed “the wonder drug of our age”, offering potential health benefits without the high, says Dr Lauren Alex O’Hagan, Research Fellow from the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics at The Open University.

Writing in The Conversation she says: From juices and coffee to truffles and ice cream, CBD products have flooded the market for consumers looking for an answer to health problems from anxiety to insomnia.

But with CBD products in the UK and EU falling under “novel foods” regulations rather than pharmaceutical standards, they aren’t subjected to the same rigorous safety and quality controls as drugs. The UK’s Committee on Toxicology has even flagged potential health risks, such as liver injury, leading the Food Standards Agency to issue safety guidance.

The regulatory gaps and health concerns of today reflect those of the 19th century when cannabis products were commercialised by the food industry.

In the 1830s, William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, an Irish doctor, discovered that cannabis was effective in treating muscle spasms and stomach cramps. French psychiatrist Jacques-Joseph Moreau later explored its potential for mental illness. This led many 19th-century doctors to champion cannabis as a cure-all.

Read the full article on The Conversation

Picture credit: subcom810 on Pixabay