CBD Oil -is something that the whole world is mumbling. Is it an Addiction or a Wonder Drug?
Well, few years back, no one knew what CBD oil was, and, now in 2019, it is everywhere in the form of lotions, capsules, edible gummies and bottled water.
What is this CBD oil?Where has it evolved from?
Cannabidiol is one of the chemical molecules found in the Cannabis sativa plant, also known as marijuana. Unlike THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) which is the main active ingredient in Cannabis, Cannabidiol does not produce any psychoactive side effects.
There are two familiar subspecies of the cannabis plant. Cannabis sativa, (known as marijuana, has psychoactive properties) and the other plant is Cannabis sativa L. (known as hemp; it is a nonpsychoactive form of cannabis), which is used in manufacturing products such as oil, cloth and fuel.
Looking into its history, Cannabis plants are believed to have evolved in Central Asia, specifically in the regions of Mongolia and southern Siberia. Cannabis has been cultivated over thousands of years as early as 1400-2000 BC and CBD was first discovered by Dr. Roger Adams and his team at the University of Illinois in 1904.
This Marijuana molecule has become widely popular during the last several months because of its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, and has been studied for its potential use for treating various health issues- like number of ailments, among them depression, insomnia, brain injury, opioid addiction, diabetes, arthritis, diabetes, menstrual cramps and graft versus host disease. It is also used in various other ways like juices, pastries, lip balm, face scrubs, suppositories, hot chocolate or tea, etc.
Though CBD has now become as common as any beverage in some neighborhoods, but possession of it is still unlawful. As marijuana is rich in THC, which accounts as much as 40% of total cannabinoid content, Hemp on the other hand is richer in CBD containing only 0.3% THC or even lesser. Hence CBD oils processed from Hemp plant are legal to possess under the new Federal law in the United States. Hemp has potential for food, medicine, and even car parts. And it’s been a potential boon for Kentucky farmers looking for an alternative to their tobacco crops.
The total perception of marijuana has changed over the past 2 years. Earlier it was such a scary thing to even hear about people using marijuana, but now, the use of it has been legalized in some countries. Just imagine…BEING LEGALIZED!!!
As the medical use of both species of the plant is increasing, most countries have already reduced the legal restrictions on cultivation, production, distribution, sales, taxation on these species and its derived products. Several restaurants are even serving CBD-infused cocktails. Cannabis has entered into the beauty industry as well, as an all-natural “cleaner and greener” skincare alternative. Even, the very famous, The Body Shop International Ltd are manufacturing products that feature hemp oils.
The medical use of cannabis is now legalized in Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Norway, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, 29 out of 51 US States and Thailand.
Potential Uses of CBD oil
Due to the potential uses of Cannabidiol, an entire industrial world is being built around it across the world, and, many leading CBD oil companies are flooding the global market. Some of them are listed below:
CV Sciences:
It is one of the leading hemp-based CBD oil supplier and manufacturer whose products range from beauty care to pet care; nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals therapeutics. CV Sciences recently increased its retail store count to 1968 organic health food stores, which makes it one of the world’s largest CBD oil companies.
CV Sciences holds Patent (Patent number: 9340475) for “Process for generating hemp oil with a high cannabidiol (CBD) content” and a Patent Application numbered 15/426,617 for “Pharmaceutical formulations containing cannabidiol and nicotine for treating smokeless tobacco addiction”.
Endoca:
Endoca, based out of Europe with an office in the US, is one of the leading CBD oil companies and the largest CBD oil manufacturers by volume. The company claims that its products are manufactured from certified organic and natural Cannabis (Hemp) plants, grown and cultivated without pesticides or herbicides.
The company grows, harvest and process its plants themselves using its own equipment and machinery to deliver the finished products. Endoca, also, has its own shipping and warehouse facility. Endoca’s next big step is to use solar energy as a sustainable source of power. (https://www.endoca.com/en-gb)
Gaia Botanicals:
Bluebird Botanicals also known as Gaia Botanicals is one of the award-winning CBD oil companies and a leading manufacturer of hemp CBD consumer products. Currently, it has distributors in Japan, South America, Europe, and the company is working to enter other regions too. Their products include oil extracts, vape items, CBD capsules, and other pet products. Gaia Botanicals released new products called CBD Isolate and Hemp Shirts in 2016. (https://www.gaiaherbs.com/).
Aurora Cannabis (AC):
Aurora Cannabis primarily focuses on producing and selling medical marijuana products. The company also produces psychoactive products, such as THC.
It is all set to become the largest producer of CBD oil with its current production capacity potential to produce 570,000 kg per year. It is said that Coca-Cola is in talks with Aurora Cannabis Inc. to develop drinks infused with cannabidiol. (https://www.auroramj.com/)
Apart from these companies, manufacturing the CBD, there are several CBD patents filed. Among these patents, the most famous one is Patent 6,630,507, titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants”, was issued on Oct. 7, 2003 issued to the United States as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services. In the year 2018, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued 39 patents containing the words cannabis or marijuana in their summaries, which is higher when compared to 29 in 2017 and 14 in 2016.
Keeping the world market aside, In India, cannabis-derived drugs are unavailable, illegal and, also, not prescribed by the doctors.
Some experts say that India lacks three very important aspects to be able to bring up the level to Western lifestyle in terms of cannabis-based medicines. Firstly, it is the non-availability of standard cannabis varieties which will have expected outputs; Secondly, a negligible clinical research on cannabis due to lack of standard material; and; Thirdly, Absence of standard product development. Also, another major reason is the misrepresentation of the cannabis plant though it has been an integral part of Indian Culture.
In April 2017, the central Government and the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued the first-ever research license to grow cannabis to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in collaboration with Bombay Hemp Company (BOHECO). Since 1985, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act came into force in India, the cannabis has been pushed into the underground. But, now, BOHECO is inclining on the revival of cannabis to improve research and reduce drug abuse.
BOHECO, a manufacturer and marketing merchandise of hemp fiber, began in 2013 which has been working with government departments to help carve a space for medical and industrial use of cannabis in India. Mr. Avnish Pandya, the co-founder of BOHECO, mentioned that there is a perception of ban on cannabis because of which nobody wants to work with it.
The Startup, BOHECO, has recently been funded with Rs.6.25 crores from several investors who include Ratan Tata and Rajan Anandan. Further, BOHECO is expecting another license to grow cannabis in the near future from the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Also, India’s most famous Ayurveda-based products manufacturer, PATANJALI, too, is expected soon to tap into Cannabis world. Indian Economy seems to be slowly having the serious consideration over cannabis, but it still needs a lot of awareness due to the traditional misconception that it is under.
Though, Cannabis is still at the seed stage in India, apart from BOHECO, there are several other companies in India from different states that are into the manufacturing of cannabis. Let’s look into them:
Health Horizons:
It is a Delhi-based Cannabis store that owns a range of organic products of hemp-based oil, shampoos, body creams, etc. It focuses on bringing organic and natural hemp products to market. Their aim is rekindle our ancestral ties with hemp into the present market. Health Horizons is also exploring into the hemp-based recipes to bring us a healthy diet. (https://www.thehealthhorizons.in/).
Foxxy:
Foxxy, a Mumbai-based company is entirely into manufacturing of hemp-based fabric. They have come up with a range of clothing that’s a blend of natural fibers and top-ultra fashion, which means the products are a combination of hemp, handloom and organic cotton. (http://www.worldoffoxxy.com/)
Hempsters:
Hempsters is a Hyderabad-based company which is specialized in body care hemp products like shower gels, soap bars, balm butters, lotions, etc. Their products are luxurious, natural, completely hand-made. Hempster is India’s first hemp-based body care brand.
Satliva:
Satliva is a Bengaluru based store that specifically sources the raw material from the foothills of Himalayas. Its products are a combination of hemp oil and cold-pressed oil. (https://www.satliva.com/)
Vedi:
Just like the Patanjali Brand, Vedi, also, infused Hemp into Ayurveda. Vedi, a Bhubaneshwar-based company focuses at using hemp to find its roots from Ayurveda. It uses quality cannabis to produce 100% vegetarian medicines. (https://vediherbals.com/)
GreenJams:
Here is the most unique among the list: GreenJams. It is a Vizag-Based company that focuses on the combination of “Build Environment” with “Natural Environment”. We have a practice of Green Buildings using processes that are environmental friendly. But, GreenJams has brought together a new combination of Green Building and the Hemp to create “Hempcrete” – hemp concrete.
Apart from its benefits for the body, Hemp is a very light-weight material with high thermal comfort and energy efficiency. GreenJams has been successful in pushing forward their Hempcrete tremendously in the last two years. (https://www.greenjamsinfra.com/)
Though, these companies have emerged out from the society that has a misconception about the Cannabis and have been running successfully, many are against the Indian Government for not legalizing the cannabis. There is a lot more benefits of cannabis than we know. For some, life has taken a good, healthy U-turn after coming in contact with this magic plant. One among is Cliff Vint, a 75-years old resident of Southern Bengaluru, who was diagnosed with urinary bladder cancer in 2016.
Doctors have predicted “not more than a 100 days life” for him. In search of hope for life, he came in contact with Non-Profit Great Legalization Movement (a campaign to leagalize the use of cannabis in India, founded in 2014) which helped him acquire the cannabis and since then he is recovering and ALIVE.
Viki Vaurora, founder of the Non-Profit Great Legalization Movement, took the initiative of this movement after coming across one of the patients at his sister’s ayurvedic clinic who was suffering from stage-four stomach cancer. He had recommended his sister to use bhang (a form of cannabis) to treat the patient, which is one of the plants mentioned in Ayurveda. When his sister was reluctant on using bhang to the patient, the patient grew weak over the days and the patient’s husband remembering Vaurora’s advice, approached him for the cannabis treatment.
Within three days of taking the oil, she was far more comfortable with no signs of constant vomiting and she could eat.
Vaurora asked his sister to take medical tests of the patient to see whether the cannabis oil treatment was working. The scans declared cancer-free, no presence of tumors anywhere. Though it wasn’t clear whether the result was due to the chemotherapy that the patient had been undergoing or the cannabis oil treatment. But, this incident woke up Vaurora towards the cannabis and hence led to the formation of the Great Legalization Movement (GLM).
The GLM started with a handful of people. They spread awareness initially through YouTube and Facebook and later through their own website. Now, GLM has ambassadors in most of the states across India. Ambassadors are in-charge of the members in that state/area.
GLM has over 27,000 Facebook followers and over 46,000 views on YouTube. GLM’s main focus is to spread awareness about the benefits of cannabis. When GLM organized the first all-India march in December 2017 towards legalization of cannabis, all they addressed was “If the Government can allow sale of tobacco and Alcohol, why not Marijuana..”. The movement had received support from many people like the renowned cardiologist, former vice Chancellor of Manipal University and Padma Shri recipient Dr. BM Hedge. Even Maneka Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor have spoken about legalizing cannabis.
Also, Vaurora had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office explaining the benefits of legalizing cannabis for medical use and also industrial cultivation. The information was further forwarded to the Drugs Controller General. Though, Vaurora hasn’t heard of any decision, he is still optimistic.
Also, GLM has been working on getting a Government license to grow cannabis. It is said to be used as a pain reliever for cancer patients and also used in some psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and anxiety. Many pre-clinical tests have shown that cannabis has anti-cancer properties.
Well, after this if you all think that CBD works only for humans, then, you are wrong, CBD oil has shown wonders towards dogs having anxiety issues, as reported by many owners. The most common conditions of anxiety include location and separation anxiety in dogs, as well as conditions related to noise phobias. This wonder plant can provide relief to dogs having such anxiety and noise related issues.
Thus, this wonder plant works both for Man and his best friend, but, how does it work. All mammals have endocannabinoid system (ECS). When CBD is consumed by the dog, its ECS gets activated. The ECS works as a two-way communication system with various systems in the body such as the immune, nervous and digestive systems, etc, allowing these parts of the body to speak to one another to help them function at optimal levels of health.
CBD oil is being used for dogs having seizures, arthritis, cancer, pain and allergies. Well, a high-quality CBD product could equally work well for both dogs and cats. That’s great news for the pet owners!! For further information for your pet health, you could look into the companies mentioned below:
ElleVet Sciences:
It is a Portland based company that manufactures CBD oil and CBD chews for dogs. (https://ellevetsciences.com/)
CR Pets Thrive:
It is a Florida based company that manufactures hemp-infused food and oil for dogs. (http://crpetsthrive.com/).
Pet Releaf:
Pet Releaf has been founded in early 2000s that manufactures health and organic hemp-based food for Dogs and Cats. (https://petreleaf.com/)
With the CBD sweeping the world across, the entrepreneurs are exploring ways to enter into the CBD industry. The most interesting thing that the cannabis industry has reached is the arrival of Blockchain or Cryprocurrency. Many startups are blooming based on the technology.
IBM has launched a blockchain based system to the Canadian Government which could track the cannabis supplies throughout the whole supply chain. It, also, has its own cryptocurrency called “POTCOIN” which allows cannabis buffers to interact, transact and communicate. Currently the PotCoin value is USD0.00768 with market capitalization of USD1800358.00. This sounds far more like a huge investment. Something more than just an investment- A HEALTHY INVESTMENT. Isn’t it?
Read more from PrometheusIP- https://www.prometheusip.com/patents/covid-19-and-contribution-of-ip/
