Scientists Discover New Source Of CBD In A Common Brazilian Plant

The cannabis compound cannabidiol, or CBD, has been discovered in another plant in South America. 

CBD, one of at least 100 non-psychoactive chemical compounds in the marijuana plant has gained attention in the medical space for its myriad benefits, including reducing pain and inflammation, helping with certain cancer-related symptoms, possible neuroprotective qualities and as a sleep aid. Proven to help with rare and severe forms of epilepsy, it is used to produce the only FDA-approved CBD-based drug Epidolex.

What Happened

Scientists confirmed on Thursday that they have identified CBD in the fruits and flowers of the common Brazilian Trema micrantha blume plant, writes Agence France-Presse. A shrub, often considered a weed (no pun intended), it grows across a large part of Brazil, according to molecular biologist Rodrigo Moura Neto of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. 

Neto said that based on chemical analyses, this plant contains CBD and no THC, the compound that produces psychoactive effects. Neto says this indicates the possibility of another widely available source of CBD, which would not be subject to the same legal and regulatory issues as marijuana.

"It's a legal alternative to using cannabis," he said. "This is a plant that grows all over Brazil. It would be a simpler and cheaper source of cannabidiol."

Neto highlighted that researchers had previously discovered CBD in another related plant in Thailand. 

Why It Matters 

According to the market analysis company Vantage Market Research, in 2021 the global CBD market was worth around $4.9 billion and is expected to grow at 21.20% CAGR, hitting $47.2 billion by 2028. This highlights the importance of Brazil's discovery as it could provide a more affordable and less regulated source of CBD. 

What’s Next? 

Neto intends to further examine the best method to extract CBD from the Trema plant and test its effects among patients with disorders who are currently being treated with hemp or cannabis-derived CBD. 

The Brazilian government recently granted $104,000 to Neto’s team for research, which should take approximately five years. 

The question remains - is the CBD found in cannabis and the CBD in the Trema plant the same compound with the same effects on our bodies? Only time and research will tell.

Photo: Courtesy of João Medeiros - Trema micrantha via Wikimedia Commons