A Spanish company has developed a new cannabis strain that has absolutely no THC.
In partnership with UPV (Universitat Politecnica de Valencia) university in Spain, Valencia-based Hemp Trading, the creator of the strain, claim it to be a first-of-its-kind.
They also say that, due to its complete lack of psychoactive THC, it is completely legal. This may well be true in Spain, as it is free of any controlled substance.
Whether that means it would be legal in the UK is unclear. Some believe any whole-bud cannabis – irrespective of cannabinoid content – to be illegal in the UK. It’s the reason for the recent crackdown on CBD flower in Brighton and other places.
Blocking THC synthesis
Ernesto Liosa, the CEO of Hemp Trading, explained how the company developed this unique cannabis strain by blocking some of the steps through which the biosynthesis of cannabinoids takes place as a cannabis plant grows.
Essentially, the company’s scientists managed to block the formation of THC. And as a result, they were able to increase quantities of the rather rarer cannabigerol (CBG) without a trace of any other cannabinoid.
This is because CBG (or CBGa to be more accurate) is the precursor to dozens of cannabinoids present in cannabis, including THC, CBD and CBC. It’s an exciting chemical that has several possible medicinal effects, as well as being non-psychoactive.
The research noted that cannabis flower available on the market generally have low concentrations of CBG, between just 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent. The new strain developed by Hemp Trading has up to 15 percent CBG content.
Future research
It’s possible that this development may bring attention to CBG and help encourage more research on this understudied cannabinoid and its therapeutic value.
“…thanks to this development, CBG can be obtained massively, opening the door to large-scale production in a legal manner, as well as doing more research to evaluate its medicinal properties,” Llosá said.
So far, CBG has been linked to fighting inflammation, neuroprotection, reducing intraocular pressure (thereby showing promise in fighting glaucoma), fighting insomnia and depression.
It’s an appetite stimulant and antibacterial – it may even protect against MRSA. It also inhibits the growth of cancer cells, slowing the progression of colon cancer.
More research is likely to unearth additional therapeutic benefits.
Cover photo: Jose Luis Sanchez Pereyra
This is an interesting read but I’m curious to know why any company would want to produce 0% THC? No THC = no entourage effect!
Sadly it’s just a legal issue.
I wonder if they are using CRISPR-Cas9 and whether this strain would technically fall under GMO or not. Fascinating non the less, the future is getting exciting!
This is an interesting read but I’m curious to know why any company would want to produce 0% THC? No THC = no entourage effect!
It’s motivated by harsh THC laws in most countries, rather than producing the most effective medicine.