The first discovery of the cannabis species became the stepping stone towards the discovery of the hemp plant’s other strains.
In 1785, a biologist named Jean Baptiste Lamarck proposed two species of the cannabis plant, which are Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis.
Then in 1839, William O’Shaughnessy, an Irish physician, and medical researcher became the early cannabis pioneer. He studied the effects of cannabis that made researchers begin to consider its medical applications. Moreover, O’Shaughnessy explored the primitive effects of cannabis. He described its use as an anesthetic used for medical application.
In 1940, a British scientist, Robert Cahn, first discovered CBD as an individual cannabinoid. A few years later, in 1942, an American chemist, Roger Adams, discovered CBD by isolating CBD and CBN (cannabinol) from the plant. He also made a hypothesis about the side effects of THC.
After a while, an Israeli professor, Raphael Mechoulam, isolated THC. He identified the stereochemistry and properties of both CBD and THC. In other words, Mechoulam and his team studied hemp’s use for epilepsy. In addition, they discovered the euphoric effects associated with the use of marijuana.