Cannabis is all the rage. As humans we like to think we discover things on a regular basis. We think we discovered continents even though they existed before we knew how to traverse them. The aesthetics and cannabis industries are not immune to that trend either. While cannabis has been legally gracing retail shelves and treatment rooms for a handful of years now, we think we discovered it. Newsflash, it’s been around for millennia! Cannabis was first documented in ancient China around 6,000 years ago. This plant has graced central Asia for generations, growing wild and robust. It is nothing new. What is new is the scientific evidence and fervor we have for the plant, and its magic compounds, as a country. 

THE MANY FACES OF CANNABIS

On a daily basis, the medical community is expanding clinical uses for cannabis based on scientific evidence. The United States government recently proposed reclassifying the plant from a schedule I narcotic to a schedule III, meaning that it would be a recognized substance that has medical benefits and uses. That may sound like a minor detail, but it is historic in the continued reintegration of the plant into our society. Cannabis was very legal in the United States up until the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, and it wasn’t just used recreationally. It was and still is a major industrial crop. From fibers used in clothing, concrete in building foundations, and food sources as a supplement and complete protein source, cannabis sort of does it all. Henry Ford’s famous Model T car was not only made in part with bioplastics containing hemp, but the prototype even ran on hemp oil.

Antonia Schreiber is a New York State licensed massage therapist, cosmetologist specializing in aesthetics science, and electrologist. With over 16 years’ experience in the industry, Schreiber’s work has brought her everywhere from the classroom to her certified green spa, the Windham Spa, to the United States Olympic Training Center and beyond. Outside of the treatment room she is a writer, speaker, and consultant with the New York State Department of Education, leading education firms and industry magazines. Her current passion projects include treatment research and development for burn patients, and assisting in the development of the United States Paralymic Bobsled and Skeleton Team.