Japanese Company Claims to Make CBD From Orange Peels

If you’re allergic to your greens, a Japan-based company has something orange in line for you: Hiro International has unveiled a new line of CBD products produced from, wait for it, orange peels, instead of hemp or cannabis. The company unveiled its product at the Cosme Tokyo cosmetics fair, according to Hanf Magazine.

The company, founded in 1984, originally imported fruits and fruit juice, but would soon discover that, allegedly, orange peels imported from the U.S. contained CBD structurally identical to that found in hemp. It was able to distill the CBD found in orange into oil for multiple applications, which was what brought them to Cosme Tokyo.

The orange peel-derived CBD oil is claimed to be 100% THC-free, and according to Hiro Spokesperson Ryousuke Koseki, this THC-free oil could bring CBD products to places with strict rules on THC.

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Strict THC laws

This is especially important since CBD companies have landed in hot water for having trace amounts of THC in their products. A study found 45% of the 250 best-selling CBD products contained THC. Moreover, John Hopkins University ran a study that showed CBD products could cause users to fail drug tests.

For example, in Japan, CBD products are not as widely used as other countries since they contain trace amounts of THC, which is highly illegal in the country. Hiro International's innovative way of developing CBD is a loophole around that law.

Oranges imported from the US

The Hanf Magazine stated that the company found the CBD content in orange peels imported from the United States, which, reportedly, are generally thrown out. The company said that the CBD found in the orange peels is structurally the same as the usual CBD obtained from hemp.

Same benefits of traditional CBD

In a statement to CBDWire, Koseki said, “With Orange CBD, you get the same ingredient, same effects, and there’s no danger in terms of legality. It also provides a different story of CBD for the consumer that sounds better than being derived from the marijuana plant.”

As of now, the company has developed prototypes using the oil derived from oranges, such as body lotion, lip balm, make-up remover, and a haircare product. Allegedly, their products offer the same wellness benefits the traditional CBD products offer. 

Hiro International hasn't made their novel extraction process public, so when they say that their orange CBD is structurally the same as the real thing, you may or not have to take their word for it.