Does oral cannabidiol convert to THC, a psychoactive form of cannabinoid, in the stomach?

Does oral cannabidiol convert to THC, a psychoactive form of cannabinoid, in the stomach?

A new study demonstrating the conversion of oral cannabidiol (CBD) to the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the presence of gastric fluids could explain why children given CBD to treat epilepsy had an unexpectedly high rate of adverse effects such as sleepiness and fatigue.

To test whether cannabidiol delivered orally could be converted to THC by the acidic fluids in the stomach, researchers compared the by-products of CBD formed when it was exposed to normal physiological conditions or to simulated gastric fluids in the laboratory. Researchers suggest the need for alternative delivery methods that would reduce the potential for psychoactive cannabinoids to form.

"It is still not clear whether the human stomach can convert CBD into THC, but this study provides important confirmatory evidence that this may be the case according Editor-in-Chief of Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research journal.
 

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2015.0004
Edited

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