The concept of the “Tree of Life” has been used since ancient times in religious and philosophical tradition. The term was used by Charles Darwin in a famous passage in his writings the evolutionary as a metaphor. When one looks in detail at cannabis as a whole, maybe our ancient teachers were referring to this plant with thousands of uses.

Cannabis was first documented by the Chinese in 3000BC and included in their book of Pharmacopoeia as one of the top 50 essential herbs. Cannabis has been known as a medicinal herb for centuries and used to treat arthritis, depression, HIV/AIDS, cancer, epilepsy and a host of other diseases and medical conditions. Medical Marijuana has been making a huge comeback in the last 2 decades around the world. Many countries have either decriminalised, legalised or allowed for over the counter use of medical cannabis concentrates or extractions.

Although cannabis for the most part of the last century has been extraordinarily painted as a “devils lettuce” or the gateway to many other narcotics. That has been proven to simply not be the case. With overwhelming public support, cannabis has beaten the “War on Drugs” hands down and now millions of people around the world are looking at cannabis as possibly saving our world!

Saving our world, perhaps a bold statement. But if you look at cannabis and not just for its proven medical benefits, its uses and benefits are astounding. The plant is used from its roots to flowers. The stem and stalks are used for bast fibers, and the cannabis seed is highly nutritious and tasty. The seeds are a powerhouse when it comes to amino acids, containing at least 20 amino acids and one of the best balances of essential fatty acids found in any seed.

With the laws being relaxed, many people are now legally able to research the plant and there have been many very interesting findings from peer-reviewed studies done by reputable labs. Scientists and doctors are investigating the hundreds of cannabinoids and terpenes and how they interact with our endocannabinoid system. Generally, THC ( Tetrahydrocannabinol ) is what most people know about cannabis. This cannabinoid is known for its psychoactive effects and is the compound found within cannabis which made certain people fear it. Besides the fact that THC has many medical benefits, the other cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, THCV, and others that are being discovered are having a big impact on what we know about cannabis.

Hemp is marijuana's non-psychoactive cousin and used by industry to make many commercial products from insulation through to resins and composite materials. In fact, the word canvas is adapted from the word cannabis. Cannabis or hemp has long been used for its industrial applications and even extensively grown in America up and until the 1950's. Currently now China is leading the way with hemp cultivation and production and 1/5 of the world production of hemp are produced in China.

We have just scratched the surface of cannabis, but looking at an overview of cannabis benefits one could say it is “The Tree of Life”.