Japanese Company Reportedly Creates Orange Peel-Derived CBD

Japan-based Hiro International has produced CBD oil from orange peels, unveiling the product at the Cosme Tokyo cosmetics trade show, according to a Hanf magazine report. Hiro Spokesperson Ryousuke Koseki said the THC-free oil could bring CBD products to places with strict rules on THC.

In Japan, CBD is legal but not as widely used as other countries because most CBD products contain trace amounts of THC which is highly illegal in the country.

The company has developed prototypes using the oil, including body lotion, lip balm, make-up remover, and a hair care product.

According to the report, the company — founded in 1984 as a fruit and fruit juice importer — found the CBD content in orange peels imported from the U.S. which are usually thrown out. The CBD found in the orange peels is structurally the same as the CBD derived from hemp, the company 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.” — Koseki in a statement via CBDWire

According to a Hemp Industry Daily report, the Japanese CBD market grew at nearly 100 percent from 2017 to 2018; however, Koseki noted that because many CBD products contain trace amounts of THC the market still hasn’t reached its full potential.

Koseki said the products garnered a lot of interest but the company has not yet determined whether they would take on overseas markets with the products.