This Week in CBD: October 26, 2018

Can non-cannabis plants produce the compounds known as cannabinoids? Some researchers say yes.

The latest contender for an alternate plant source of cannabinoids is liverwort.

This mossy plant produces a chemical known as perrottetinene (PET). And while the concentration of PET in liverwort is low, the chemical’s structural similarity to THC makes it an exciting subject for medical research.

Specifically, PET seems to have significant anti-inflammatory effects, without the mind-altering high that THC is known for.

Have you ever wondered whether CBD products marketed for pets are safe for humans to use? This week, Westword took a look at the similarities and differences between human and pet CBD products. (Hint: it’s often just about the labels!)

A new study found that cannabis oil with a high CBD-to-THC ratio significantly improved the symptoms of Crohn’s disease.

The study investigated a theory that cannabis helps with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by reducing inflammation in the gut.

But while the researchers found that up to 65 percent of patients treated with cannabis oil experienced clinical remission, they also found that the cannabis oil had no effect on gut inflammation.

Canada legalized adult-use cannabis earlier this month, a policy change that is expected to have wide-ranging economic and social impacts.

But what does Canada’s legalization mean for hemp farmers in the US, especially with the anticipated passage of the 2018 Farm Bill this November?

This week, Merry Jane looked at the ways that the hemp industry will change in the wake of these new policies. And with Canada’s head start in hemp agriculture, farmers in the US may have some catching up to do.

This November, the Pharmacy Board of the state of Virginia is expected to finalize approvals for CBD processing facilities across the state.

The newly FDA-approved CBD drug Epidiolex will hit pharmacies in the next few months, and the UK is expected to approve the medication in 2019. In the meantime, doctors are learning more about the drug.

To that end, the journal Practical Neurology has published a new review of the scientific literature on cannabis and epilepsy. Even though Epidiolex is not yet available, neurologists are already fielding questions about the treatment and its efficacy. This review aims to “address what an adult neurologist needs to know now.”