New Source Of CBD Found In Wild Brazilian Weed (No, Not That Kind) – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

Cannabidiol (CBD) is well-known as an active ingredient in cannabis that’s derived from the hemp plant, but scientists have now discovered this potentially useful compound is also produced by a plant that grows wildly in the Americas: Trema micrantha blume.

Molecular biologists at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro managed to obtain CBD from the fruits and flowers of the shrub-like plant, Agência Brasil reports. Crucially, the plant does not contain any tetrahydrocannabinol (better known as THC), the psychoactive ingredient that makes you feel high. 

It’s hoped the discovery could help to provide an alternative source of CBD that avoids the many legal hurdles that surround the cannabis plant in many parts of the world. 

“There would also be no legal restrictions on planting, since it can be planted freely. Plus, it’s spread all over Brazil. It could become an easier and cheaper source of cannabidiol,” Rodrigo Soares Moura Neto, Laboratory Head and Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told the public Brazilian news agency.

Along with Brazil, the plant has been reported to grow in wider parts of tropical South America, Mexico, Central America, the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and southern Florida. 

Trema micrantha, sometimes known as Jamaican nettletree, can grow into a tree over 10 meters (33 feet) tall. It’s part of the Cannabaceae family, which includes both hemp and hops used to brew beer. Given its hardiness…