THC is often described as the active ingredient in marijuana, but cannabis includes more than 60 so-called cannabinoids.
Zack Klein, head of development at Tikun Olam, the company that has just developed a marijuana without the high, describes the plant, which is grown atop the hills of the Galilee:
“Sometimes the high is not always what they need. Sometimes it is an unwanted side effect. For some of the people it’s not even pleasant.”
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But cannabis also contains Cannabidiol, or CBD, a substance that some researchers say has anti-inflammatory benefits. Unlike THC, it hardly binds to the brain’s receptors and can therefore work without getting patients stoned.
Tikun Olam began its research on CBD enhanced cannabis in 2009 and about six months ago they came up with Avidekel, a cannabis strain that contains 15.8 per cent CBD and only traces of THC, less than one per cent.