The Bengal Bite 🐯 | The Science of Cannabis | November 20, 2020
Research and development, core to “the science of cannabis,” continue to reveal new use cases and possibilities of cannabis for medical patients and recreational consumers. New innovations also drive product development and solutions for cultivators, producers, and retailers alike.
This week's Bite:
Companies are beginning to better understand how to make CBN a consistent sleep aid, increasing the potential for cannabis to disrupt the multi-billion dollar sleep industry.
Research from the University of Minnesota has validated a genetic test that can predict whether a cannabis plant will produce mostly CBD or THC potentially helping farmers prevent crop loss.
Findings suggest THC may prevent colon cancer in mice.
New tech is being explored to help prevent fires and natural disasters from contaminating and destroying cannabis crops.
Read more below:
Sleep and CBN: What we really know about the buzzy cannabis compound
The cannabinoid CBN has shown promise in helping cannabis consumers sleep. Due to increased consumer demand and industry experimentation, we are beginning to learn more about the sedative qualities of CBN. Turns out that CBN works, but it has to be in combination with CBD. Bloom Farms’ Sleep Tincture, featured in Mashable, contains a 5:1 CBD:CBN ratio.
New genetics test predicts if cannabis will be THC or CBD-rich
Cannabis and hemp are incredibly similar, except that the latter is federally legal due to its usually low or no THC content. A fear of hemp farmers is that they will come to the end of a growing season and realize they have noncompliant crops. University of Minnesota researchers developed a genetic test that predicts whether a cannabis seed yields a plant with mostly CBD or THC. “For hemp to take off in Minnesota and elsewhere, there must be ways to assure growers they won’t have to destroy their crops at the end of the season.” – head researcher and university professor George Weiblen in a statement shared on Ganjapreneur.
THC prevents colon cancer in mice, findings suggest
For people suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), no medical solutions are widely available. Furthermore, IBD in some cases can lead to cancer. University of South Carolina researchers however have discovered that prevention might begin with cannabis. Their research suggests that THC, the psychoactive compound found in cannabis, could help prevent colitis-associated colon cancer in mice. Read more in Forbes.
Can the cannabis industry prepare for a future of climate change?
Not long before marijuana became legal, the biggest threat to growing cannabis outdoors was the law. Now that threat is a constellation of climate change-fueled weather disasters: drought, record heat and fires so big they take weeks and thousands of firefighters to extinguish. In an interview with Forbes, Jay Evans, CEO and Founder of commercial cultivation technology company Keirton Inc., shares his insights on how tech can help mitigate the damage that fires and other natural disasters cause, and potential ways cultivators and entrepreneurs within the cannabis industry can prepare for increasing climate change.