Scientists have discovered cannabidiol, a compound found in cannabis known as CBD, in a common Brazilian plant, opening a potential new avenue for producing the increasingly popular substance. I cut it open.
Rodrigo Moura Neto, a molecular biologist at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said his team discovered CBD in the fruits and flowers of a plant known as Trema micrantha brume. Trema micrantha bloom is a shrub that grows throughout much of South America and is often considered a weed. AFP last year.
CBD is increasingly used by some people to treat conditions such as epilepsy, chronic pain, and anxiety, and is used alongside cannabis, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the substance that makes users feel high. is one of the main active compounds of
The efficacy of this compound as a treatment is still under investigation.
Neto said chemical analysis revealed that Trema contains CBD but not THC, raising the possibility that new sources of the former may exist in abundance. said. This does not face the legal hurdles of cannabis, which remains illegal in many places, including: Brazil.
“This is a legal alternative to cannabis use,” he said.
“This is a plant that grows all over Brazil. It could be an easier and cheaper source of cannabidiol.”
Scientists had previously discovered CBD at a related factory in Thailand.
Although Neto has not published his results yet, he plans to expand his research to identify the best way to extract CBD from Trema and to evaluate its effectiveness in patients with conditions currently treated with medical cannabis. He said he plans to analyze the gender.
His team recently won a 500,000 reais (US$104,000) grant from the Brazilian government to fund their research, but he estimates the research will take at least five years to complete.
According to a study by market analysis firm Vantage Market Research, the global market for CBD is estimated at nearly US$5 billion and is expected to grow to more than US$47 billion by 2028, primarily due to health and wellness uses.
© Agence France-Presse
A previous version of this article was published in June 2023.
