Specific strains of the cannabis plant, known as strains, will ensure optimal extraction of active ingredients for medical use. This will completely transform the production and application of cannabinoids in medicine, revolutionizing it for patients. What works will be bred in the future.
- Doctors and patients want something that works well
- Pharmaceutical companies aim for standardized active ingredient extraction and sterile production
- Medical Cannabis Research & Analysis GmbH clones and breeds hemp plants with specific properties under high–tech conditions.
Hemp plants with specific properties are cloned and bred
The entire field of cannabinoid production and application in medicine is currently undergoing rapid change. The current situation is as follows: patients and doctors want something that works well and is well tolerated. Pharmaceutical companies also desire optimal active ingredient extraction and maximum yield for medical production. And that’s exactly what the team at Flowery Field GmbH can already achieve through specific strain development and sterile production of hemp plants. Motivated by this, the chemical laboratory of Alexander Kristen was founded together with chemist and toxicologist Univ.-Prof. Rainer Schmidge.
In Brunn am Gebirge near Vienna, hemp plants with specific properties are cloned and bred under high–tech conditions.
Cannabis strains and their effects
But why do we need specific strains of the cannabis plant, and what experience is there? Each cannabis strain has a specific composition of cannabinoids and terpenes. Essentially, there are three strain types that are crossed: Cannabis indica, a small, bushy plant with a relaxing and sedative effect, used for example in insomnia, muscle spasms, and pain. Cannabis sativa is a large plant with a long flowering period, it has antidepressant and stimulating effects, used for ADHD, depression, and fatigue, among others. The third strain type consists of hybrids, crosses between Cannabis sativa and indica. Currently, the research team at Medical Cannabis Research & Analysis is attempting to combine the benefits of Cannabis sativa and indica in hybrids. Knowledge of the differences in strain types and their effects is crucial. For example, Indica strains with high THC content are used by doctors to treat:
- Muscle cramps,
- Loss of appetite,
- Tourette syndrome and
- Sleep disorders.
First CBD strains for medical production
Patient experiences and ongoing study results are incorporated into strain development at Flowery Field. Through years of basic research, Alexander Kristen has succeeded in developing specific strains and multiplying cannabis plants in vitro – an essential factor in medical production.
„Quote with picture “We have succeeded in developing hemp strains through crossbreeding and breeding that have a specific content of active ingredients and are at the same time absolutely robust against external influences and pests. With CBD 1 (1% THC, 10% CBD) and CBD 2 (0.1% THC, 20% CBD), we have already bred two successful CBD strains. Our in vitro process also guarantees that hemp plants can be produced sterile and virus-free without pesticides. As a result, the CBD extracted from the flowers can go directly into medical production as a high-quality, standardized raw material.”.“
CEO Alexander Kristen
No experiments, just routine in vitro production
The cannabis plants at Flowery Field are standardized and propagated in test tubes. Embryonic stem cells (so-called meristems) are taken from the plants and placed in a test tube where an agricultural substrate ensures optimal plant nutrition. Work is done under sterile laboratory conditions because one pathogen can destroy the entire production. After placement, the meristems are placed in a growth chamber. The plants grow in the laboratory. In vitro plants do not need water or fertilizer. Depending on the strain, they stay in the glass for six weeks before the nutrients are depleted and they are removed. The plants are either divided again and grow in new glasses, or they are removed from the glass and placed in rock wool for rooting.
Gold rush sentiment in the cannabis sector
There is currently a gold rush sentiment in the cannabis sector. More and more countries are liberalizing the medicinal cannabis sector and promoting production for medical purposes. However, the standards are high, and the effort and required know-how are often underestimated.
“Our cloning research and in vitro propagation are based on years of experience in basic research and many failed attempts in the past. The result today is genetically rejuvenated and robust plants of stable, identical quality. After cannabis was banned and stigmatized in the 1950s, the signs are now pointing to a re-medicalization. This is to the advantage of patients and those companies that have invested many years in basic research.”.
Geschäftsführer Alexander Kristen