Hemp is one of humanity's oldest crops: genetic evidence suggests Cannabis sativa was first domesticated in East Asia about 12,000 years ago. Fibre hemp spread west into the Middle East and Europe about 4,000 years ago and was grown for rope, cloth and seed for centuries. In the 20th century, drug laws pushed hemp into decline. Today it is grown again, defined by its low THC content.
Key facts
- Domestication
- East Asia, early Neolithic, about 12,000 years ago (genomic estimate; 95% range about 6,500–15,700 years)
- Oldest hemp finds
- Hemp-type artefacts appear consistently from about 7,500 years ago in China and Japan
- Spread to Europe
- Fibre hemp spread westward into Europe and the Middle East about 4,000 years ago (Bronze Age)
- 1961
- The UN Single Convention excludes hemp grown only for fibre and seed
- EU today (as of October 2026)
- Farm support only for varieties with no more than 0.3% THC; 33,020 ha grown in 2022
- Switzerland today (as of October 2026)
- Hemp under 1% THC is outside the Narcotics Act
Where does hemp come from?
For a long time, Central Asia was assumed to be where cannabis was first cultivated. A 2021 study that sequenced the genomes of 110 cannabis plants from around the world pointed instead to East Asia. It found that all of today's hemp and drug varieties descend from an ancestral gene pool that still survives in feral plants and old landraces in China (Ren 2021). The researchers dated domestication to about 12,000 years ago, in the early Neolithic.
The wild plant is much older. Fossil pollen points to the northeastern Tibetan Plateau as the centre of origin of the genus, and it shows that Cannabis had reached Europe by 1.8–1.2 million years ago, long before farming (McPartland 2018).
When did people start using hemp for fibre?
According to the same genomic study, early cannabis was a multipurpose crop. Only about 4,000 years ago did farmers begin selecting it strongly in two directions: tall, fibre-rich hemp, and resin-rich drug types. The study also found that hemp types lost genes involved in making the competing cannabinoids, as farmers selected for fibre (Ren 2021). This is consistent with today's hemp making mainly CBD and very little THC. Our guide to what hemp is explains the difference in detail.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| About 12,000 years ago | Cannabis is domesticated in East Asia (genomic dating) |
| From about 7,500 years ago | Hemp-type artefacts are consistently found in China and Japan |
| About 4,000 years ago | Fibre and drug types diverge; fibre hemp spreads west into Europe and the Middle East |
| 1937 | The US Marihuana Tax Act taxes and registers anyone who grows or deals in the plant |
| 1961 | The UN Single Convention controls cannabis but excludes cultivation only for fibre, seed or horticulture |
| 1970 | The European Economic Community sets up a common market and per-hectare aid for flax and hemp |
| 2018 | US federal law defines hemp as cannabis with no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC |
| 2023 | The EU's farm policy for 2023–2027 keeps hemp eligible only for varieties with no more than 0.3% THC |
| 12 November 2026 | The US hemp definition switches to total THC, including THCA |
What was hemp used for in the past?
- Fibre: the long fibres in the stalk were made into cord, rope and cloth. Fibre artefacts become common in East Asia from about 4,000 years ago (Ren 2021).
- Seed: the seeds were eaten and pressed for oil. Even the 1937 US law excluded the mature stalks, fibre, seed oil and sterilised seed from its definition of marihuana (50 Stat. 551).
- Resin: separate drug-type plants were used in rituals and as an intoxicant. There is archaeological evidence of this in western China from at least 2,500 years ago (Ren 2021). For the story of THC itself, read the history of THC.
Why did hemp farming decline?
In the 20th century, laws aimed at drug cannabis also caught hemp. The US Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 defined anyone who planted or cultivated the plant as a "producer" who had to register and pay tax, even though the fibre and seed oil themselves were excluded (50 Stat. 551).
Internationally, the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs put "cannabis and cannabis resin and extracts and tinctures of cannabis" under control. But it states: "This Convention shall not apply to the cultivation of the cannabis plant exclusively for industrial purposes (fibre and seed) or horticultural purposes" (Single Convention, Art. 28(2)). That exemption is what made hemp's later comeback possible.
The confusion has lasted. Robin Roy Krigslund-Hansen, co-founder and CEO of Formula Swiss, says many customers still believe CBD and hemp products are illegal, and many journalists don't know the difference between cannabis and hemp; some even translate cannabis flowers as hashish, which misleads consumers. Our guide to cannabis, marijuana and hemp sorts out the terms.
How did hemp make a comeback?
In Europe, hemp never fully disappeared. In 1970 the European Economic Community set up a common market for flax and hemp, with a flat-rate aid per hectare (Regulation (EEC) No 1308/70). Today's rules tie hemp to its THC content. EU farm support covers only varieties with no more than 0.3% THC, grown from certified seed (Regulation (EU) 2021/2115). The EU hemp area grew from 20,540 ha in 2015 to 33,020 ha in 2022, and France grows more than 60% of the crop (European Commission).
In Switzerland, hemp with less than 1% THC falls outside the Narcotics Act (FOPH). In the United States, federal law has defined hemp by a 0.3% delta-9 THC limit since 2018. From 12 November 2026, that limit counts total THC, including THCA (7 U.S.C. 1639o).
What is hemp used for today?
The European Commission lists textiles, food and animal feed, construction materials such as hempcrete and insulation, paper, and plastic substitutes in the car and aerospace industries. Cosmetics and CBD products are newer uses (European Commission). For CBD, the flowers are the valuable part. See how hemp is grown and how CBD is extracted from hemp.
From our production
Hemp's long history is still part of daily life for us: our hemp is grown in Central Switzerland, where the dry climate suits the crop well.
— Robin Roy Krigslund-Hansen, co-founder and CEO
Frequently asked questions
Where did hemp originate?
Fossil pollen points to the northeastern Tibetan Plateau as the origin of the Cannabis genus. A 2021 genomic study found that the crop was first domesticated in East Asia, about 12,000 years ago.
How old is hemp as a crop?
Genomic dating puts domestication at about 12,000 years ago. Hemp-type artefacts are found consistently from about 7,500 years ago in China and Japan.
When did hemp reach Europe?
Wild cannabis reached Europe more than a million years ago, according to fossil pollen. Cultivated fibre hemp spread westward into Europe and the Middle East about 4,000 years ago, in the Bronze Age.
Why was hemp banned?
Laws aimed at drug cannabis also covered the hemp plant. The US Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 made growers register and pay tax. The 1961 UN Single Convention, however, excludes cultivation solely for fibre and seed.
Is hemp legal to grow today?
In many countries, yes, within THC limits and licensing rules. As of October 2026, the EU supports varieties with no more than 0.3% THC grown from certified seed, and Switzerland treats hemp under 1% THC as outside the Narcotics Act.
Related guides
This article is general information about the history of hemp and the law. It is not legal advice; rules change, so check the law in your country. Formula Swiss CBD oils are cosmetics for use on the skin. Read our full disclaimer.
Last reviewed:
Sources
- Ren G et al. Large-scale whole-genome resequencing unravels the domestication history of Cannabis sativa. Sci Adv 2021;7(29):eabg2286. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abg2286
- McPartland JM. Cannabis systematics at the levels of family, genus, and species. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2018;3(1):203–212. doi:10.1089/can.2018.0039
- An Act to impose an occupational excise tax upon certain dealers in marihuana… (Marihuana Tax Act), 2 August 1937, 50 Stat. 551. govinfo.gov
- United Nations. Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, Articles 1 and 28, Schedule I.
- Regulation (EEC) No 1308/70 of the Council of 29 June 1970 on the common organisation of the market in flax and hemp. OJ L 146, 4.7.1970.
- Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of 2 December 2021 (CAP Strategic Plans), Article 4(4) and recital 18. OJ L 435, 6.12.2021.
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture. Hemp. agriculture.ec.europa.eu
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG). Geltende Rechtslage von Hanf- und Cannabisprodukten (current legal situation of hemp and cannabis products). bag.admin.ch
- 7 U.S. Code § 1639o, Definitions (hemp), as amended by Public Law 119-37 of 12 November 2025.
