(Credit: Axim Biotechnologies, Inc.)
Medical Marijuana, Inc., the first-ever publicly traded cannabis company in the United States, announced today that its major investment company Axim Biotechnologies, Inc. has filed an IP application with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on a proprietary method to extract THC-A (tetrahydrocannabinol acid) from cannabis plants and to achieve THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) with higher purity than conventional methods being used in the market today.
THC is the most commonly known Cannabinoid derived from the Cannabis plant. The recently-filed IP would give protection to the invention of a method of extraction of THC-A from the cannabis flower using a solvent where the yield is approximately 50-70% with regards to THC-A content in the starting material.
A neutral metal salt or inorganic base solution saturated with the metal neutral salt and adjusted to basic pH enables separation of the THC-A layer and significantly increases the yield. THC-A is then decarboxylated in a water/ethanol solution to render THC at a purity greater than 95%.
The IP was generated in collaboration with Syncom B.V., a Netherlands-based premier company in custom synthesis solutions for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.
“We are extremely excited to see that Axim has filed this IP as it represents the first stage of a chain of processes in development of novel and revolutionary drug products all based on Axim’s propriety IP,” said Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc. “This is another example of how Axim is at the forefront of the cannabis biotechnology industry. This extraction method will change how THC can be utilized in products in the future and open up new possibilities for the industry as a whole.”
He continued, “The THC purity level that Axim is able to achieve through this invention will untimely represent a milestone achievement in the standardizing of cannabis based products. With roughly 440 marijuana strains in existence with varying levels of cannabinoids, trying to make this into a standardized medicine has represented a real challenge for the research community. Now Axim has overcome these hurdles and we believe this will allow for future cannabis based drug development opportunities.”
Medical Marijuana, Inc. owns appoximately 45.5% of Axim Biotechnologies.
(Source: Marketwired)
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
