Hello Jaime and Shanti, so glad to have you on Weed World for this chat on CBD-crew. You announced this new project of yours during the last Spannabis fair in Barcelona, could you tell us more about it?

Jaime: As you remember the first time we tested the 1:1 ratio of THC: CBD in Cannatonic (a strain I created for Resin Seeds) was also during a Spannabis fair, the 2009 edition, when we gave a sample to be analyzed by CANNA laboratories. From that moment on I have been working with Shantibaba on CBD since we were both genuinely interested in bringing this powerful molecule to patients.

Shanti: That’s right mate, during the past decade science has demonstrated that CBD is a potent antioxidant with strong anti-inflammatory qualities. Jaime and I both believe that patients should be given a chance to cultivate and employ CBDrich cannabis to self-medicate. We wish to offer a well tested natural alternative in a seed form.

Most cannabis is bred for the “high” THC content. What else about CBDrich strains makes them such desirable strains for patients?

Jaime: Cannabidiol —CBD— is a compound in Cannabis that offers various beneficial properties. Taken alone, CBD is not psychoactive; when mixed with THC it tends to smooth and modulate the euphoric effects of THC, often this is something patients tend to dislike in high THC strains. After decades only high-THC Cannabis, CBD-rich strains are now being grown by and for medical patients. CBD has demonstrated neuro-protective effects in some pathological conditions, and its anti-cancer potential is currently being explored at several academic research centers worldwide (try to search “CBD cancer Guzman” on google for more insights).

Shanti: The reduced psychoactivity of CBD-rich cannabis makes it an appealing treatment option for patients seeking anti-pain, anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory and/or anti-spasm effects without some of the typical effects of THC, like euphoria. Many scientific and clinical studies indicate that CBD could be effective in easing symptoms of a wide range of difficult-to-control conditions, including:

rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, PTSD, epilepsy, antibiotic-resistant infections and neurological disorders. I suggest you visit the website of projectcbd.org, a California based non-profit educational service, for further information.

And the CBD-crew, how did it come about? It is not every day you see two seed companies collaborating so closely?

Shanti: You mean instead of stealing and feminizing your competitor’s genetics? Jokes a part, if you want to develop new genetics based on their chemotype (which cannabinoids will be produced in the resin of the flowers) there is plenty of hard work based on trial and error to go through. First of all you need to be able to test the cannabinoid content of the genetics you are producing, in order to select the right ones to move ahead with your project. We collaborate with a certified laboratory for a series of analytical tests during the course of the plants lives. Before I started breeding CBD-rich strains, I was selecting plants based on their aromatic profile, flowering period, yield etc.