Possibility of use of industrial hemp in pharmacological purposes in Canada
Unable to compete with industrial hemp crops malonarkoticheskoy "greenhouse cultivation" will become a niche product, and apparently will be used solely for under effective control by the state to obtain the desired pharmacological production of psychoactive THC.
When there is a question about hemp raw materials for the production of pharmaceuticals in Canada is remembered only the konoplevodstva industry, which is based on the use of leaves and inflorescences of plants grown in greenhouses. At the same time there is another industry sector, which is currently not drawn adequate attention, but which annually produces vegetable raw at times more than their counterparts involved in greenhouse cultivation of hemp. Even more shocking is the fact that the crop is grown valuable pharmacological raw material is thrown on the garbage.
In 2013, Canadian farmers cultivated industrial hemp crops technical area of about 27 thousand hectares, mainly for seed yield. However, with such a huge volume of harvest of leaves and inflorescences of a single kilogram has not been used for the production of cannabinoid drugs. It is well known that industrial crops industrial hemp contain a concentration of a controlled worldwide tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), that the production of this raw material substance for the illegal market is not economically viable, therefore this type of plant it is public safety. At the same time, in addition to THC in industrial hemp plant material contains a significant amount of beznarkoticheskih cannabinoids possessing healing properties, the value of which at the pharmacological market is extremely high.
Feasibility of producing cannabidiol from plant industrial hemp raw materials
Help - cannabidiol is a cannabinoid beznarkoticheskim, has a number of therapeutic benefits compared to other medicinal plants, and in contrast to the non-psychoactive THC effect. Medical properties of cannabidiol official medicine recognized only recently, so a number of the largest manufacturers of psychoactive cannabis in the country directed their efforts on breeding new varieties cannabisa, rich precisely this cannabinoid.
Hothouse selection is carried out with dioecious hemp varieties in which the value of female plant (materka), producing a significant amount of resin rich cannabidiol. Male plants as a result of working seed is removed, which makes it possible unfertilized materka produce more raw materials rich in cannabidiol and do not waste energy on the formation and development of seeds per plant.
Industrial hemp crops as well as technical and greenhouse plants secrete resin rich beznarkoticheskimi cannabinoids, but in much smaller numbers than the hothouse variety. At the moment, Canadian farmers do not yet consider their raw material is grown, consisting of leaves and inflorescences malonarkoticheskoy hemp as a potentially lucrative substance, which can be reworked to receive financial resources commensurate, and even higher than the seed crop. At this point in the course of collecting seed yield without leaves available recycling technologies and inflorescences, Canadian agricultural producers are dumped on the ground potentially extremely highly profitable raw materials.
Let's try to calculate how much can be made of resin-rich cannabidiol from 27 thousand hectares of industrial crops industrial hemp.
According to Afghan farmers psychoactive hemp on open ground, is obtained per hectare yield in the amount of 145 kg cannabisa resin. It must be borne in mind that Afghanistan is not hemp is grown for seed crop, namely for the production of hashish oil. Afghan cannabis produces cannabinoid significantly more raw materials than can be collected from one commercial industrial hemp crop per hectare.
A more correct to compare the yield of raw materials is not a cannabinoid with Afghan and Moroccan farmers, because in addition to leaves and inflorescences are harvested seed yield. According to the UN, Moroccan farmers receive per hectare of about 40 kilograms of resin rich in cannabinoids. Assuming that Canadian farmers will be able to receive the same amount of tar as the Moroccan, it turns out that with 27 thousand hectares of Canadian agricultural producers will be able to receive more than one million kilograms of resin - this is the amount of raw materials rich beznarkoticheskimi cannabinoids annually in Canada is thrown in a landfill.
Compare the amount of raw materials that can be obtained from commercial industrial hemp crops with those grown in greenhouse conditions.
Total consumption of raw materials from plantations psychoactive cannabis in Canada is estimated at 770 thousand kilograms, rounded the figure up to one million kilograms. The "green mass" grown under greenhouse conditions contained up to 20% cannabinoid components (resin). Even with a very large approximation turns out that in a year with greenhouse plantation is going to about 200 thousand kilos of resin, ie, fifth of what is emitted by Canadian farmers in the fields.
Please note that there is a direct relationship between the amount of THC and CBD in the plant. Therefore, cannabis grown under greenhouse conditions, the amount of CBD is higher than malonarkoticheskih plants cultivated on open ground. Given this feature, conducted by Canadian researchers estimates indicate that in the year Canadian farmers, cultivating technical hemp varieties produce about 60 thousand kilograms of CBD, compared with 35 thousand kilograms produced in greenhouses.
Let's try to calculate the amount at which Canadian farmers would be able to sell them received hemp resin.
Canadian farmer expects to harvest at a rate of about 2 tons of seed per hectare at $ 1,000 per ton. To increase the profitability of cultivation, farmers can easily sell a kilogram of resin for $ 50, getting up to an additional $ 2,000 per hectare, collecting above the crop at 40 kg.
The above calculations show that the wholesale price of 1 gram of pure CBD would be about $ 1.6, respectively, the retail price to the final consumer - $ 5 grams. At the moment, the cost of wholesale "greenhouse" CBD in Canada is about $ 3.50 per gram, respectively, retail - $ 17.50.
Naturally, if the practice of using "green mass" industrial hemp will be widely distributed among the farmers of Canada, it will be possible to assert that the individual agricultural producers will not collect seeds, and focus on growing leaves and inflorescences. This immediately lead to the fact that the volume of harvest to rise to the level of the Afghan, ie per hectare can produce up to 145 kg cannabinoid resin. Thus the volume of raw materials will increase many times, it can still significantly reduce the wholesale price of cannabinoid raw materials, leaving the same profit margins per hectare for the farmer.
"Greenhouse" cannabidiol - not for long
The Ministry of Health Canada's already thinking about whether it makes sense to encourage entrepreneurs to invest substantial financial resources in the creation of complex greenhouses. If government agencies win point of view according to which Canada will use the cannabinoid raw materials from industrial technology industrial hemp crops, greenhouse technology soon become unprofitable.
Unable to compete with industrial hemp crops malonarkoticheskoy "greenhouse cultivation" will become a niche product, and apparently will be used solely for under effective control by the state to obtain the desired pharmacological production of psychoactive THC.
Information taken from the site http://tku.org.ua