In fact, it was one of the first plants to be domesticated by humans, marking mankind’s earliest industrial efforts.
While hemp’s exact geographical origin is unknown, archeological evidence suggests that its history can be dated back to the Neolithic age. Scientists have even recently discovered a relic of hemp cloth in ancient Mesopotamia (currently Iran and Iraq) which dates back to 8,000 BC. There is also a remnant of hemp cord found in Taiwan during that same era.
Contrastingly, the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was drafted by anti-cannabis prohibitionist Harry Anslinger, and was passed with the intent of levying taxes on hemp products and on the commercial sales of cannabis products.
Even with hemp’s storied past, its industrial attributes are widely misunderstood these days, often being conflated with its THC-rich doppelganger—marijuana. Nearly 50 years after the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which classified all cannabis species as a Schedule I Drug, the government still seems to have some confusion in distinguishing the two plants.