Japanese company, Hiro International, has derived cannabidiol (CBD) oil from orange peels.
Free from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, Ryousuke Koseki, a company spokesperson, said that the product could make CBD available in places with strict rules against THC and cannabis-derived products – good news for us here in New Zealand with our government’s backwards thinking towards CBD and Hemp products.
Hiro International was founded in 1984 and initially imported fruits and fruit juice. However, it soon found that orange peels imported from the US contained CBD structurally identical to that found in hemp.
The company later found it was able to distil the CBD found in orange peels into oil for multiple applications. Now, the company provides a variety of healthcare products containing CBD oil from orange peels. These include body lotions, make-up removers, hair care products, and lip balms.
"Orange-derived CBD Oil has the same ingredients as hemp CBD, similar effects, and additionally, zero danger in terms of THC intake and legality. This discovery offers a different CBD story, which is better than the currently standing CBD narrative to the consumers," explained Koseki.
Until now, the company has not tested the effectiveness of orange peel CBD against CBD derived from hemp. Although they said they might look into it soon, whether or not their version of CBD is effective is thus still open for debate.
Early studies have found that other alternatives for CBD are just as effective as more effective than regular CBD. A study conducted by Peak Health on its hops-derived CBD product, ImmunAG, found that it was more effective at reducing calcification in the heart than cannabis-derived CBD at 'every concentration'.
Nevertheless, the release of Hiro's orange peel hemp products is good news for those wanting to use CBD in Japan, where THC- even in trace amounts- is highly illegal. Given that 45 percent of the 250 best-selling CBD products are known to contain THC, and that using CBD products may cause users to fail drug tests, a product categorically free from THC is considered as a safe alternative.
Currently, it seems that these products are only available in Japan. The company has not commented when they will be available internationally.
