With the legalization of hemp across America and the subsequent explosion of the hemp/CBD industries, it’s easy to view hemp in the same vein as kale or quinoa, that being the newest hot commodity that’s all the latest craze. Contrary to those views however, the hemp crop is a plant that’s archeologically been proven to have been grown and utilized by civilizations that existed all the way from millenia ago to this very day.
From ancient China to Mesopotamia, and even notably grown by the founding fathers, hemp’s expansive history and uses throughout the course of history are near never-ending and the plant’s whole history would be more properly curated by a professor in a university course. Luckily, one professor and brilliant historian has done such an educational task and conducted a class on the rich history of this universally popular crop.
From graduating with a dual Bachelor’s in both History and Philosophy from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2003, Dr. Bradley Bourougerdi clearly had a passion for all eras of history, although with a special focus in Russian history and culture specifically. Upon completion of his Masters in World History in 2006 with a thesis entitled ““Constitutionalism, Nationalism, and Social Democracy, and the First Communist Movement in Iran, 1905-1921”, Bourougerdi used his excellent academic relationships and became enrolled in UT Arlington’s Transatlantic History PhD program, eventually graduating in 2012.
Looking to include his fascination with Russian history in his dissertation, the young academic discovered articles on historical databases about meetings and interactions with Russian diplomats during the American Revolution and a common crop remained a focal point throughout these diplomatic correspondences. Over the next five years, Bourougerdi constructed a thorough dissertation of over 250 pages documenting hemp’s usage and utilization in transatlantic trade and exploration that acts less as an academic paper, and more of a full-fledged novel on hemp throughout history.
“Cord of Empire, Exotic Intoxicant: Hemp and Culture in the Atlantic World, 1600-1900” went into exquisite detail as to precisely how industrial hemp became so vital throughout the New World during those centuries, going down into specifics about how Russian-produced hemp was a superior product based on the production methods themselves among other revolutionary practices in cultivation. He simultaneously discusses the many classifications of the cannabis plant and the Reefer Madness-esque insanity that arose from Indian cannabis, more commonly known as cannabis indica.
As well as a dissertation worthy of a Pulitzer, Borougerdi has participated in panel discussions with very 420-friendly sounding titles, prime examples being ““The Shifting Cultural Consumption Patterns of Cannabis in U.S. History,” and “Constructed Cannabis Cultures in the United States and Its Atlantic World,”
And to his well-due credit, the Tarrant County College professor and author of similar academic papers such as “Why is Hemp Illegal” can provide a detailed geographical explanation throughout the centuries as to how hemp reached the many civilizations of the ancient world up to the modern day and eventual prohibition and criminalization like a second language. By memory, the professor can cite countless examples of cannabis-based fear mongering, the same type that acted more as thinly veiled racism than any legitimate and dire public health concerns
In one of his upper level courses at UT Arlington entitled “Hemp, History and Culture”, Dr. Bourougerdi essentially took his dissertation and constructed a class based on the overarching subject matter.
“It was my favorite class because it was preparing me for my dissertation. I use hemp as a tool to explain what culture is, how culture works and how they operate with each other. I then use hemp to better understand what is history and I show students how history is subjective and you can see all these points with hemp. It’s a commodity that’s meant so many different things to so many people. It’s also a triple purpose plant and it can be used for recreational, medical or industrial purposes.
It’s a ubiquitous plant and has been around more cultures than most plants and because it is such a diverse plant, it has lent itself to all these uses and you can see what happens when different cultures clash and encounter each other when they have different uses for commodities.”
The future educational plans of Dr. Borougerdi include his continuing tenure at Tarrant County College as well as his involvement in the cannabis education startup called Texas Cannabis Academy. With the vast knowledge he possesses, Borougerdi also acts as a cannabis cultivation consultant. With the high demand for science-based knowledge in hemp and its numerous medicinal and industrial uses, the evolution of hemp education will be quite an innovative process to witness.
