Marijuana Users Stay Sober Thanks to New Plant

Israeli scientists have cultivated a cannabis plant that may benefit those who smoke marijuana for medical purposes but wish to do so without getting high, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper, Maariv.

The new cannabis plant appears the same as regular marijuana and reportedly tastes and smells the same as well. The main difference is that smoking it does not induce any feelings normally associated with ordinary marijuana, leaving users completely sober.

The plant was developed by Tikkun Olam, which sought to neutralize the effect of the substance, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and increase the effect of another substance called cannabidiol (CBD).

It has been shown that CBD has the ability to help diabetics and ease various psychiatric disorders.

“It has the same scent, shape and taste as the original plant — it’s all the same — but the numbing sensation that users are accustomed to has disappeared,” said Tzahi Klein, the head of development at Tikkun Olam, according to the National Post.

“Many of our patients who tried the new plant come back to us and say: ‘You tricked me,’” after assuming they had been given a placebo, he said.

The CBD substance also leaves users without the normal hunger wrenches, also known as the “munchies,” that marijuana smokers tend to experience.

Israeli law strictly prohibits the use of marijuana except for medical purposes.

Medical marijuana has been approved for approximately 6,000 Israelis suffering from various illnesses, according to the Sheba Medical Centre and the Israel Cancer Association.

The National Post reports that this new innovation is unlikely to affect Israeli law in the near future.