ON A HIGH

Hemp has come a long way. There is evidence of hemp cultivation dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, and a ‘health drink of cannabis nectar’ features in the first cookbook ever published (by gastronomist Bartolomeo Platina in 1475). In Tudor England its use in the production of sails and rope for the navy was considered so valuable it was illegal for farmers not to grow it. By 1928 it was outlawed as an addition to the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1920, only to be re-legalised in 1993 (the reasons for this remain as mysterious as the inner workings of government itself).

While hemp (which, like marijuana, belongs to the genus) has been championed by some as a sustainable crop for decades, its products haven’t always enjoyed mainstream, it’s being recognised as a key weapon in the fight to save the planet. If you’re a newcomer to the world of hemp, prepare to be blown away by the potential of marijuana’s formerly frumpy cousin.