The hemp
Hemp (lat. Cannabis sativa) is a very old crop, useful and medicinal plant. Since the 3rd millennium BC, the plant with its finger-like pinnate leaves has been grown because of its valuable plant parts. Fabrics, sails, ropes and paper are made from the fibers and cooking oil with a high content of valuable fatty acids can be pressed from the seeds. The seeds can also be eaten directly. The flowers and leaves serve as a remedy in folk medicine for all kinds of diseases and ailments and also as a basis for the distillation of essential oils. This can be used for example in aromatherapy or for the production of perfume and cosmetics. Even the remains of the processing are still used, the press cakes as food and the shives as bedding for horses and small animals. In addition, the extremely resistant fibers can be used as building materials (insulation, mortar, "Hempcrete") or for hard plastics.
The cannabinoids
So far, more than 80 different cannabinoids have been discovered in the hemp plant (source: Cannabidiol implementation guide / BAG, status 2019). The best-known cannabinoid is the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which has a psychoactive effect and is therefore subject to the Narcotics Act in Switzerland (unless the content is <1%). In a cannabis plant there are usually only a few cannabinoids in a relevant concentration. The hemp varieties we use are non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD). This is of great interest in medicine today, since many people who use hemp do not want an intoxicating effect. More and more scientific and clinical studies are underlining the medical potential of CBD as a treatment option for a variety of ailments.
Recommended website with information on the therapeutic use of hemp:
Our partner Swiss Lab:
A selection of studies on the medical potential of hemp:
Devinsky O. et al. Cannabidiol: pharmacology and potential therapeutic role in epilepsy and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Epilepsia, 2014
Fernández-Ruiz J. et al. Cannabidiol for neurodegenerative disorders: important new clinical applications for this phytocannabinoid? Br J Clin Pharmacol, 2013
Prud'homme M., Cata R., Jutras-Aswad D. Cannabidiol as an Intervention for Addictive Behaviors: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Subst Abuse, 2015
Schier AR et al. Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an anxiolytic drug. Rev Bras Psiquiatr, 2012
Zuardi AW et al. Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug. Braz J Med Biol Res, 2006
Zuardi AW Cannabidiol: from an inactive cannabinoid to a drug with wide spectrum of action. Rev Bras Psiquiatr, 2008
Carlini EA et al., Hypnotic and antiepileptic effects of cannabidiol, 1981
Lynch ME et al., A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot trial with extension using an oral mucosal cannabinoid extract for treatment of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain, 2014
For pharmacists, please also note the following information (we keep it updated): Swissmedic, products with cannabidiol (CBD) overview and enforcement aid