Evidence suggests that hemp and cannabis may have been farmed for up to 12,000 years and had many uses including the making of cloth, rope, paper, food, and medicine. However in the modern context, it was not until its introduction to American pharmacies by William Brooke O'Shaughnessy in 1839 that Cannabis extracts came into mainstream awareness as a medicine. A wide range of cannabis extracts became easily available and could be gotten from travelling doctors and salesmen, doctors, and drugstores throughout America. This ended the introduction of the Pure Food and Drug Act. Similar products were also available across Europe.