USF takes closer look at the healing power of plants, including hemp

TAMPA, Fla. - Maybe you’ve used aloe or rosemary or other medicinal plants in the botanical gardens at USF. But a new crop could hold life-changing benefits. 

“If we can come up with some non-opioid drugs that can help with pain and other things, that would be phenomenal,” explained professor Mark Kindy of the Taneja College of Pharmacy at USF.

It must contain less than 0.3 percent THC, which is what produces the high, but what else it contains is what scientists want to harness. 

“Marijuana and hemp, in some degree, has been used for thousands of years in Europe and China,” Kindy said.

But modern science is still trying to understand the anecdotal healing power of hemp and how to give it to patients. 

“We’re looking at topical applications, patches, and nano-sizing of the materials so that they’re easily absorbed through the intestine or the gut into the bloodstream,” continued Kindy.

Many who’ve found relief from CBD hope for even better products. Florida lawmakers have cleared the way allowing new research by USF and other state universities. 

Kindy says two farms working with USF will harvest hemp within the next couple of weeks. 

“We harvest the plant for the flowers to be processed to extract the materials,” said Kindy.

He hopes to extract age-old secrets to bring new relief for patients using hemp.