BioHarvest, an Israeli biotech company, claims to have developed a material within a bioreactor that has all of the active elements of cannabis — and it’s 12 times more potent than nature’s best.
BioHarvest is hailing the idea as a breakthrough that might make medicinal cannabis less expensive and more ecologically friendly, as it requires far less water and no fertilizer at all. Hemp plant cells are grown in enormous bioreactors in three weeks, while conventional cannabis takes 14 to 23 weeks. The company’s technology can also greatly enhance the levels of active compounds as a percentage of weight compared to what is ordinarily present in the plant.
In other words, the resulting THC substance can be extremely potent, meaning, by adjusting specific conditions to which the cells are exposed, the company can create different desired compositions of active ingredients by dialing up and down the various cannabinoids [compounds].
The drug does not require any genetic alteration and completely mimics all of the CBD, THC, and “minor cannabinoid” chemicals present in naturally cultivated cannabis.
According to BioHarvest’s estimates, one gallon of water is required to create the same amount of material as 54 gallons of water would take to grow in plant form — and in 90 percent less area.
However, the question is whether people will be willing to try it. BioHarvest claims their material may be smoked, eaten as a tablet or drop, or used in chewing gum — but that doesn’t mean customers will accept the new alternative.
Reference- BioHarvest website, The Times of Israel Story, Futurism, Interesting Engineering