Scientists have discovered cannabidiol, a cannabis compound known as CBD, in a common plant in Brazil, opening up new possibilities for producing the increasingly popular substance.
The research team described CBD as ” Trema micrantha bloomRodrigo Moura Neto, a molecular biologist at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told AFP in June that the disease could have a detrimental effect on plants, including the meadowsweet, a shrub that grows in many parts of South America and is often considered a weed.
CBD, which is increasingly being used to treat conditions such as epilepsy, chronic pain and anxiety, is one of the main active compounds in cannabis, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the substance that gets users high.
The effectiveness of this compound as a medical treatment is still being studied.
Neto said chemical analysis showed that Trema contains CBD but no THC, raising the possibility of a new, rich source of CBD that wouldn’t face the legal and regulatory hurdles of cannabis, which remains illegal in many places, including Brazil.
“It’s a legal alternative to cannabis use,” he said.
“This is a plant that grows all over Brazil. It will be a simpler, cheaper source of cannabidiol.”
Scientists had previously found CBD in related plants in Thailand, he said.
Neto hasn’t yet published the results of his study, but he said he plans to expand the study to determine the best way to extract CBD from Trema and analyze its effectiveness in patients with conditions currently treated with medical marijuana.
His team recently received a 500,000 reais (US$104,000) grant from the Brazilian government to fund their research, but they estimate that it will take at least five years to complete.
A 2022 study by market analysis firm Vantage Market Research estimated the global CBD market to be worth approximately US$5 billion and is expected to grow to more than US$47 billion by 2028, driven primarily by use for health and wellness purposes.
© Agence France-Presse
A previous version of this article was published in June 2023.
