Stevia Corp will produce synthetic cannabidiol

Dec 24, 2014

Cannabidiol comes from the cannabis sativa plant

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

Stevia Corp out of Indianapolis, Indiana announced their Hong Kong operation, Stevia Technew, will develop synthetic cannabidiol (CBD) at less than half the cost it takes to extract it from the cannabis sativa plant traditionally.

CBD is one of about 85 cannabinoids (chemical combinations found in hemp and marijuana) and scientific research shows its usage is widespread and can help with PTSD, chronic pain, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s, among others.

It was the most effective treatment for Charlotte Figi, a young girl with Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy, in a documentary entitled “WEED” that included CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Current prices for CBD range from $40,000 to more than $100,000 per kilogram.

Extracting the oil from the plant traditionally can be a complicated process. Stevia Corp say they can create the same purity of oil for half the cost- if not less.

Whenever there’s research involving the cannabis plant, there’s the possibility of legal infractions because American federal law prohibits the growth of marijuana and industrial hemp growth but Stevia Technew say their processes to create the synthetic CBD have no illegalities.

Stevia Corp have already began trying to further their reach with this new research.

"Perhaps even more impactful for the creation of shareholder value, Stevia Corp is also focused on several patentable applications for CBD and has engaged a patent attorney with the intent to file several provisional patents in the coming months with more updates planned for January 2015,” Stevia Corp. President George Blankenbaker said.

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