Traditionally, THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the most significant ingredient in marijuana. Only one of over 100 cannabinoids so far identified in the plant, THC is primary responsible for the psychoactive effects that make marijuana so popular among users.

However, more recent research has unearthed another important cannabinoid in marijuana: cannabidiol or CBD. Amazingly, cannabidiol is now considered to be just as important as THC, and for some purposes, perhaps even more so. Offering a number of clear benefits, cannabidiol is ideally suited for medical use for many reasons. But perhaps the most important characteristic of cannabidiol is that it doesn’t have any psychoactive effects at all.

Now this could be a significant difference for medical marijuana patients who need many of the benefits offered by medical marijuana treatment, but may not necessarily want the psychoactive effects. Other people who would benefit from CBD-focused treatment are those for whom the mind-altering effects of THC-heavy marijuana are simply unacceptable for health or personal reasons. For such patients, the best alternative is a CBD-heavy strain that has minimal THC content.

Increasing focus on CBD strains

Over the past few years, a number of growers have anticipated the need for more CBD-focused strains and have therefore risen up to meet the challenge. Nowadays, you could walk into a well-stocked dispensary and ask for a high-CBD strain and have more than a few options to choose from. But the two that stand out in particular in today’s market are: Charlotte’s Web and Avi-dekel.  These strains are especially suited for the treatment of anxiety, seizures, and certain types of tumors.

Charlotte’s Web contains as much as 20% CBD. Developed by Colorado’s Stanley brothers in 2011, Charlotte’s Web was intended to address the need for a high-CBD strain that had extremely low THC content. Although high-CBD strains were previously used in cancer treatment, its effectiveness in controlling seizures in a 3-year-old girl named Charlotte brought its other benefits to the fore. The strain was subsequently named for the little girl, and its high CBD content has made it one of the most sought after strains in the medical marijuana world.

Charlotte’s Web Hemp Oil

The Stanley brothers have since made high-CBD oil called Charlotte’s Web Hemp Oil available to the market. Priced at $250 a bottle, the oil contains less THC than the maximum allowable limit for food products in the U.S., which makes it legal in many jurisdictions.

Avidekel contains anywhere from 15.8% to 16.3% CBD. Unlike Charlotte’s Web, which contains only minute amounts of THC, Avidekel contains no THC at all. Developed by breeders at the Israeli cannabis firm Tikum Olam, Avidekel is made from high-CBD strains bred selectively since 2009. With the development of the ideal strain in 2012, Avidekel was finally produced to the meet growing demand for CBD-specific products.

CBD-focused research remains in its relative infancy in comparison to THC-specific research. Nevertheless, the tremendous potential of high-CBD medications bodes well for its usefulness in the medical marijuana industry. As things stand, it isn’t too far off to predict that CBD-based products will achieve the same level of prominence as THC-heavy products in the future.

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