Hydrolife Magazine June/July 2016 (CAN Edition)

heal
“Back in the day, most cannabis
strains on the market contained
a much higher amount of THC
than CBD. ”
CBD is one of more than 60 compounds
found in the chemical phenotype of cannabis
plants. Among its many functions,
it has proved to be a natural protector
against the psychoactive effects of THC.
Evidence showing that CBD is far more
effective than conventional therapy
in treating child epilepsy has brought
about the attention and interest of many
pharmaceutical companies. In addition, a
review published in the British Journal of
Clinical Pharmacology shows CBD to be
a potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic
capable of combating cancer cells and
reducing nausea. No wonder its possible
uses in the field of oncology are being
investigated by people all over the world.
Back in the day, most cannabis strains
on the market contained a much higher
amount of THC than CBD. This was probably
because most breeders preferred
the psychoactive effect that THC-rich
strains offered. Nevertheless, thanks
to the recent discoveries regarding the
medical benefits of CBD, this compound
is becoming increasingly more appreciated.
As seedbanks devote their time
and effort to investigating and developing
new cannabis genetics, pharmaceutical
companies are seeing how beneficial
CBD can be.
While THC might cause some undesired
side effects when being used for
medical purposes, there seems to be
no apparent reason for thinking CBD
presents the same problem. As evidence
supporting the many therapeutic benefits
of cannabidiol grows, pharmaceutical
companies are starting to invest in
research to obtain in-depth knowledge
regarding the different ways CBD can be
used in the medical field.
To that end, Supreme Pharmaceuticals in
Canada has signed a partnership agreement
with Dinafem, a world-renowned
Spanish seedbank founded in 2002.
Among many other things, it is known for
being the first seed bank to market feminized
autoflowering strains. As a result
of this alliance, Supreme will gain from
Dinafem’s know-how. The aim of this innovative
partnership is to produce medical
cannabis strains that could help patients
authorized by the Marihuana for Medical
Purposes Regulations (MMPR) in Canada.
“We are excited Supreme will be
utilizing our genetics in their hybrid
greenhouse,” states Mr. Gorospe, CEO of
Dinafem. “Supreme’s commitment to producing
high-quality, sun-grown cannabis
is aligned with our own commitment
to producing the best genetics. Dinafem
is focused on market leading innovation
in cannabis genetics, striving to maximize
the potential of each variety,” he
continues. “We look forward to working
with Supreme to introduce our genetics
to the Canadian market.”
Thanks to the time and money invested
in a wide range of R&D projects, Dinafem
has been able to make the most of
its human and technological resources
to develop cannabidiol-rich genetics
that, according to the seedbank’s laboratory
manager, are the result of a meticulous
research process intended to satisfy
the needs of medical and recreational
cannabis users. “We have used selecting
breeding techniques to create strains
with high rates of CBD and lower THC
content,” he says. “Through a meticulous
selection process, only those genetics
with the highest CBD content were chosen.
By analyzing the plants’ chemical
phenotype with a gas chromatograph,
we could identify the number of cannabinoids
found in each of them, after which
our laboratory team managed to select
those plants that presented a higher rate
of CBD and were worthy of belonging to
our elite line.”
Once the pure line took shape, Dinafem
crossed those CBD-rich elite plants with
world-renowned strains and obtained
a wide range of hybrids that now make
up its new catalogue of high-CBD
strains. Among the many genetics that
harmoniously blend the traits such as
flavour, aroma, strength and yield, of
their predecessors in with the benefits of
CBD, the ones worth a special mention
are Amnesia CBD, Bubba Kush CBD and
Cheese CBD. These are strains that,
thanks to their 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 THC/CBD
ratio, are not only are ideal for therapeutic
use, but also offer a far more sustainable
alternative to patients who want
to consume regularly without worrying
about having their daily lives disrupted.
With this recent partnership, Supreme
will now be able to investigate and
develop strains with high medicinal
value, while Dinafem will have access
to a wide variety of R&D and cuttingedge
techniques as well as information
about the yield these strains possess
when being cultivated in the remarkably
big premises (350,000 sq. ft.) of Supreme.
And, on top of that, the experience
shared by thousands of medical users
that avail themselves of those therapeutic
strains will enable Dinafem to never
stop looking for ways to improve.
Marina Márquez Gomez was born in
Barcelona and graduated with a degree in
journalism from UVIC in 2005. Since then
she has worked as a content writer for
several Spanish media outlets focused on
the medical field.
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grow. heal. live. enjoy.
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