A Short History Of CBD Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940 and it marks a long and rich history! However, humans have been cultivating cannabis since almost 4000 years BCE, as both colloquial cannabis and industrial hemp used in textiles, papers, and ropes. The mankind’s development has been circulating around cannabis, but its legal and medical uses seen today are a phenomenon of recent times!