CBD was first discovered in the 1940s by Roger Adams, a chemistry professor at the University of Illinois. Adams separated the CBD oil from the hemp itself to study its properties and found it had many benefits.

In the 60s, an Israeli chemist, Raphael Mechoulam took the research, further synthesizing cannabinoids — including CBD, THC and others — and describing their chemical structures for future research. Further research continued and finally, the first CBD oil meant for therapeutic use was released by the British Pharmacopoeia.

In the next few decades, the research continued. In 1980, Dr. Mechoulam made another breakthrough in CBD history when he ran a study which showed cannabidiol could be a key factor in treating epilepsy. Mechoulam, now a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, still studies cannabis to this day.