This past summer, a new strain of ‘highless’ marijuana was discovered in Northern Israel by the pharmaceutical company, Tikun Olam. The company believes that this strain has the potential to change the image of the drug because it doesn’t give users the characteristic high or get them “stoned”.
Cross-breeding of the plant has removed the chemical in cannabis known as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which has psychoactive properties. Instead, the new plant is effective because of its high concentration of cannabidiol (CBD), a powerful anti-inflammatory. Ruth Gallily, an immunology professor at Hebrew University who has researched CBD for 15 years, said, “Cannabidiol does not bind to the brain, to the brain cells, therefore after taking it you don’t have any side effects that you don’t want. [These include] not being high, not being confused. You can drive, you can work, you can do everyday things. It’s very non-toxic.”
This strain, called Avidekel, can be used medicinally to alleviate nausea, pain and other symptoms doctors may prescribe medical marijuana to treat. “Sometimes the high is not always what they need,” Zack Klein, head of development at Tikun Olam said. “Sometimes it is an unwanted side effect. For some of the people, it’s not even pleasant.” Furthermore, the new CBD strain is targeted to reach a specific category of patients according to Zach Klein. “The new strains are really good for three populations – people who work, old people – because they are sensitive to THC – and also children, as we want to touch those receptors in their brains as little as possible.” And so far, doctors have begun prescribing CBD-enriched cannabis to patients such as David Sabach, a 12-year-old suffering from cancer. The drugs are delivered to David’s home in the form of chocolate, cookies or cakes and have helped him significantly, “When I take the cannabis it helps me all day. I feel much better. I can finally walk without crying from the pain in my legs.”
Another patient, Moshe Rute, an 80-year old Holocaust survivor who suffered from a stroke two years ago, testifies, “After I found this, everything has been better. I’m now 80 and I’m still a Holocaust child, but I’m finally able to better cope.” Rute is one of more than 10,000 patients who have official government permission to consume marijuana in Israel.
Although marijuana is illegal in Israel, medical use has been permitted since the ‘90’s for illnesses such as cancer, Parkinson’s, Crohn’s, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Currently, Israel’s Health Ministry is considering the distribution of medical marijuana through pharmacies starting next year, a step taken by only a few countries, including Holland.
Overall, Israelis seem enthusiastic about moving the industry forward and perhaps even globalizing highless marijuana. “When push comes to shove, and people see how suffering people are benefitting, I’m sure everyone will get behind it,” said Yuli Edelstein, Israeli Minister of Public Diplomacy.
Itay Goor Aryeh, director of the Pain Management Center at the Sheba Medical Center, maintains that legalizing medical cannabis allows authorities to conduct more research and learn about regulation. He also noted that THC was first isolated in marijuana by Israeli scientists in 1964. “So we are really on the cutting edge of not just the growing and distribution, but also on the basic science of cannabis…It has to be researched more, it has to be regulated more, so we know what exactly we’re giving the patient, which strains are better,” Aryeh said. “If you don’t allow it, you will never know.” Aryeh says medicinal marijuana is cost-effective and reduces patients’ needs for more detrimental pain medications, like morphine.
In contrast, medical use is still widely debated in the United States, with only 17 states and Washington, D.C. permitting medical marijuana for various approved conditions. These approved conditions vary by state but in some places include AIDS, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and seizures. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says smoked marijuana is not medicine, and “has not withstood the rigors of science.”
Dr. Igor Grant, director of the University of California San Diego’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research says, “With just regular marijuana, there is a mix between THC –the more neurologically active component – and CBD. There is still ongoing research to try to understand the actions of THC and CBD and how they interact.” Dr. Grant also mentioned that there is plenty of evidence to suggest that CBD is not psychoactive.
Some maintain that the mass cultivation of a plant similar to the Israeli-grown cannabis would create complicated legal and political issues. Robert MacCoun, a psychologist and professor of law at the University of California, believes that there’s too much controversy surrounding the issue, and if CBD turns out to also be as therapeutic as THC, it may legalize only certain ingredients. Because permission for medical marijuana research must be obtained from the fed, it can be difficult to study its effects.
International pharmaceutical companies are experimenting with the properties of the cannabinoids, as well as developing synthetic versions to use as medicines. Growers say traditional methods have potential to create cannabis for different conditions. The new “high-free” Israeli version could definitely challenge the ban on medical uses of cannabis in many countries.