Hemp Around The World

Continents and Countries

Early evidence of hemp is believed to have been found in Central Asia on the Himalayas or Altai Mountains particularly in today’s Mongolia and Southern Siberian regions. This 12000 year old history makes hemp among the oldest ever cultivated crops by humans. By 1926, the domestication of hemp by peasant farmers in these mountains had already begun. 

They first discovered hemp growing wildly, which then spread to their farms as weed. From here, they discovered that they could make use of the weed growing in their farms and later on started cultivating it as a useful crop. China also has its place in the early discovery of the hemp crop. It was in fact a vital part of The Yang-Shao culture; a people who dwelt along the Yellow River Valley as far back as 65,000 years. Hemp was used to produce their clothes, fishing nets and cordage because it presented a stronger and more durable fiber processed by retting.