Researchers from Israel say they have developed marijuana that can be used to ease the symptoms of some ailments without getting patients high. (David Buimovitch, AFP)
They grow in a secret location in north Israel. A tall fence, security cameras and an armed guard protect them from criminals.
Israeli researchers may have found a way to keep healthy people from abusing medical marijuana: take away the high.
The “highless” marijuana still eases the symptoms of the medical
marijuana patients, but it contains less than 1 percent of THC, the
chemical that causes pot’s signature euphoric high.
Instead, this new cannabis strain, called Avidekel, is beefed up with
15.8% cannabidiol, or CBD, which has anti-inflammatory benefits but
doesn’t bind to the brain’s receptors the way THC does.
But hold on: How would law enforcement authorities tell the one from the other?
Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University Law
School, discussed on his blog the legal hiccups this highless drug could
cause.
"Police would have a difficult time distinguishing the products if
smoked — assuming non-high marijuana is declared legal. The basis for
banning non-high marijuana would be dubious at best. However, if smoked,
the government could require some additives to distinguish the smell."
om criminals.
