ABSTRACT
Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is grown for the production of fiber (Rabelais, 1546), cannabinoids (Beaudelaire, 1860), or seed (Deferne and Pate, 1996). Cannabis originates from Central Asia but has been cultivated from the Equator to the Polar Circle (Vavilov, 1926). Hum an use of hem p goes back at least 6,000 years and it m ay be one of the oldest nonfood crops (Schultes, 1970). For thousands o f years, hemp bast fiber has been used to m anufacture rope, fabric, and paper. Cannabinoids have been used for m edical, spiritual, and recreational purposes, whereas the seed was produced m ainly for its oil.
