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.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.