The production of cannabinoids from yeast could be a cheaper and easier way of producing the valuable molecules which are currently widely used for treatment of medical conditions and, in the case of THC, consumed for the psychoactive effects. Cannabis high in THC, usually referred to as marijuana, is legal for recreational adult - use in 10 states and 13 others have decriminalized its use. Cannabis high in CBD, typically obtained from very low THC Industrial hemp, and the CBD molecule itself, are legal in most states. Both molecules are shown to be effective in treating many conditions and diseases, including pain, cancer, glaucoma, seizures, and many others.
"Once you've engineered it, you can grow out more of it," explained Jay Keasling, who is a Berkeley professor and a co-author of the study. "The yeast is in our freezers and whenever we want to grow more, we take a sample, put it into sugar water with a few other nutrients. If you've got the right sugar in there, it will produce the cannabinoids."
Keasling has already formed a company, Dimetrix, and patented the yeast. He says he can create THC for less than $400 per kg and hopes the company can produce lower cost CBD and THC which is also cleaner and more pure than what is currently cultivated from cannabis. This could make it more affordable for patients and consumers.
From the Abstract:
We report the complete biosynthesis of the major cannabinoids cannabigerolic acid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, cannabidiolic acid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid and cannabidivarinic acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, from the simple sugar galactose...Yeast is already used to produce other drugs such as codeine and morphine, as well as insulin. The research team has already used the yeast to create an anti-malaria drug that has dramatically lowered it's cost.
Our work presents a platform for the production of natural and unnatural cannabinoids that will allow for more rigorous study of these compounds and could be used in the development of treatments for a variety of human health problems.
Comment: This is hardly surprising - GMO technology has been used in the synthesizing of pharmaceutical medications for the last 40 years. It was only a matter of time (and working out of that pesky decriminalization thing) before the pharmaceutical industry found a way to dominate the medical marijuana industry. Marijuana and hemp activists, after fighting their fight for legalization, will be left in the cold as a result.
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