Green Medicine

Hemp contains hundreds of different cannabinoids, among them one the most relevant being Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotrophic cannabinoid which has been approved by FDA in 2018 for the treatment of intractable epilepsy in children. CBD is produced by the plant thricomes but can be also found in promising concentrations in the threshing residues, side stream of the hemp cultivation for seeds production. To maximize the use of the multipurpose crop hemp, the CBD extraction from hemp threshing residues is demonstrated in the GRACE project. The world market for CBD is currently quite small and can be considered as niche market. However, further applications of CBD in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics are foreseen, even if not yet approved.

In GRACE, INDENA was upscaling their CBD extraction facilities and continued developing CBD as a promising product within their portfolio.