CBD-INFUSED PLANTS AND PLANT PRODUCTS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/106,546, filed October 28, 2020, entitled METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR CBD-INFUSED PLANTS AND PLANT PRODUCTS, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for infusing CBD into a plant and/or plant part, such as the vegetable, fruit, leaves, stems, roots, etc.

Description of Related Art

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940. It is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. Unlike THC, CBD does not appear to have any intoxicating effects or cause a “high.” People of various ages use CBD on a regular basis for a variety of reasons. Many people even give CBD to their pets for a variety of reasons. Known reasons for people to use CBD include pain, anxiety, stress, sleep aide, insomnia, arthritis, depression, migraine, headache, recreational use, pet care, mental conditions such as PTSD and ADHD, digestive issues, acne and skin care, other general health benefits. As of 2019, clinical research on CBD included studies of anxiety, cognition, movement disorders, and pain, but there is insufficient high-quality evidence that it is effective for these conditions.

Known forms of CBD products include lotions, balms, gummies, oils, tinctures, drops, capsules, tablets, oil sprays, infused food by mixing with CBD oil, vaping products, soap, infused drinks, bath bombs and salts, skin care products, and patches.

The main source of CBD being utilized is oil-based. Generally, the primary option available to CBD users is to manually add CBD oil to an already processed plant or food. However, many users complain of the unsavory taste of the CBD oil or a coating left in their mouths, even when mixed with foods and various flavorings.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention is broadly concerned with compositions and methods for infusing CBD into a plant and/or plant part, particularly via mass flow and nutrient uptake. The methods and compositions can be used, for example, to produce vegetables and fruits comprising a quantity of CBD infused therein as a more palatable approach for delivering CBD to people and animals.

As noted above, one of the biggest complaints from customers is the taste and coating left in the mouth by the CBD oil. Embodiments of the present invention comprise substantially pure CBD, for example CBD isolate from a lab, which is tasteless and odorless. When the CBD is taken into the plant during the growth process, the vegetable or fruit tastes like the vegetable or fruit and does not have a CBD flavor or aftertaste.

Additionally, due to the bad taste of traditional CBD products, it is difficult to get children or adults to willingly take the CBD on a regular basis. Because the CBD is naturally infused into the vegetable via active transport from the roots up during the growth process, there is no taste or odor, and the user may not even be able to detect the existence of CBD in the food. This allows for more regular CBD intake and better health benefits.

Moreover, many people do not buy or use CBD on a regular basis due to public stereotyping and judgement. However, when eating a fruit or vegetable with the CBD naturally infused, no one would have to know that CBD is in the food at all, leading to more regular intake and better health benefits.

As society has become more health conscience and eating healthy and organic, natural products are trending. Embodiments of the present invention comprise (consist of, or consist essentially of) natural ingredients, and the plant or vegetable is naturally infused with the CBD, making for a natural and more healthy process.

In one or more embodiments described herein, natural ingredients were used to infuse plants and their resulting fruits and vegetables, for example a tomato, with CBD.

In one embodiment, there is provided a method of infusing at least a portion of a plant and/or plant part with CBD. The method comprises applying a CBD-containing composition to the roots of the plant and/or to the planting medium and watering the roots of the plant and/or the planting medium such that roots of the plant uptake at least a portion of the CBD in the CBD- containing composition.

In another embodiment, there is provided a CBD-containing composition comprising a quantity of CBD and at least one carrier comprising at least one plant nutrient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

Figure (Fig.) 1 is a photograph showing a cherry tomato plant having small unripe (green) tomatoes;

Fig. 2 is a photograph showing the plant of Fig. 1 after the growth period having four ripened (red) CBD-infused tomatoes; and

Fig. 3 is a photograph showing the harvested ripened CBD-infused tomatoes of Fig. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally comprise compositions and methods for infusing or absorbing CBD into a plant and/or plant part, such as the leaves, stem, roots, vegetable or fruit. Embodiments of the present disclosure are also directed to the resulting CBD infused plant and/or plant part. The methods generally include infusing at least a portion of a plant with CBD by applying a CBD-containing composition to the roots of the plant and/or to the planting medium and watering the roots of the plant and/or the planting medium such that the plant uptakes at least a portion of the CBD through the root system and/or stem. The CBD- containing composition generally comprises (consists of, or consists essentially of) a quantity of CBD and at least one carrier comprising a plant nutrient. The quantity of CBD and at least one carrier can be provided as a mixture, for example a substantially homogeneous mixture, such that the roots of the plant can uptake the CBD and at least one nutrient along with water during normal plant growth (i.e., mass flow of water and solutes from the roots up through the plant).

In certain embodiments, the quantity of CBD comprises a high purity CBD isolate. For example, in certain embodiments, the CBD comprises a CCb-extracted CBD isolate. In certain embodiments, the CBD isolate comprises a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of less than about 0.3% by weight, preferably less than about 0.2% by weight, more preferably less than about 0.1% by weight, and most preferably less than 0.01% by weight (or substantially free of THC). In certain embodiments, the CBD isolate comprises a CBD content of at least about 90% by weight, preferably at least about 95% by weight, more preferably at least about 99% by weight, and most preferably at least about 99.5% by weight. In certain embodiments, the CBD is in powder form, such as a powdered CBD concentrate. However, it is within the scope of the invention that the CBD may be provided in other forms, such as an oil or other liquid form (dispersion, suspension, emulsion, etc.), or as a nano CBD product (i.e., a micro or nano-sized CBD particle or molecule coated with small liposomes or lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)).

The at least one carrier may comprise a variety of materials, compositions, and mixtures of multiple materials and compositions, so long as the quantity of CBD can be adequately mixed within the carrier. The at least one carrier generally comprises at least one plant nutrient. In certain embodiments, the carrier comprises at least one plant macronutrient and/or micronutrient. In certain embodiments, the at least one plant nutrient comprises a macronutrient selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium (e.g., calcium carbonate), magnesium, sulfur, and/or a micronutrient selected from the group consisting of boron, zinc, manganese, iron, copper, molybdenum, nickel, chlorine, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the at least one carrier comprises an organic composition, such as an organic fertilizer composition derived from animal matter, animal excreta (manure), and/or plant matter (e.g. compost and crop residues). However, it should be understood other carriers may also be used, such as traditional fertilizers and compost compositions. In certain embodiments, the at least one carrier comprises eggshells, coffee grounds, and/or banana peels.

In certain embodiments, the CBD-containing composition may comprise other additives and components that may assist in the preparation and/or mixing of the composition, and/or in the efficacy of the CBD absorption/infusion and/or plant growing process. For example, in certain embodiments, the CBD-containing composition may comprise an inorganic or organic acid (such as humic acid, fulvic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, formic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, benzoic acid, carbonic acid, and mixtures thereof), seaweed (such as kelp or other macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae species), an amino acid (such as tryptophan, glutamine, glycine, proline, lysine, and mixtures thereof), enzymes, molasses, surfactants, anti-foaming (defoaming) agents, colorants agents, dispersing agents, and/or stabilizing agents.

The CBD-containing composition may be prepared using any of a variety of preparation methods. However, in certain embodiments, the composition should be prepared such that the quantity of CBD is adequately mixed within the at least one carrier, and preferably as a homogeneous mixture. In certain embodiments, the at least one carrier is provided and/or ground into a powder and mixed with the quantity of CBD. In certain embodiments, the CBD and/or the at least one carrier are in particulate or powder form, having an average particle size (as measured by the longest measurable dimension of the particle) of about 0.001 mm to about 10 mm, preferably about 0.01 mm to about 5 mm, and more preferably about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm. Regardless the mixing process, the resulting CBD-containing composition generally comprises at least about 0.01% by weight, preferably at least about 0.1% by weight, and more preferably at least about 0.5% by weight CBD. In certain embodiments, the CBD-containing composition comprises about 0.01% to about 5% by weight, preferably about 0.1% to about 2% by weight, and more preferably about 0.5% to about 1% by weight CBD.

Methods of infusing CBD into the plant or plant part generally comprise applying the CBD-containing composition to the plant and/or plant roots. In certain embodiments, the CBD- containing composition is applied to the plant and/or plant roots by applying the composition to a planting medium (e.g., soil, nutrient solution) in which a plant or plant seed resides. In certain such embodiments, the CBD-containing composition can be applied to the surface of the planting medium like common plant food, for example, by sprinkling or otherwise applying the composition around the base of the plant or over the planted seed evenly. In certain embodiments, the CBD-containing composition may be premixed with water that is then used to water the plant and planting medium in which the roots reside.

However, in certain additional or alternative embodiments, the CBD-containing composition can be applied to the plant and/or plant roots by mixing a quantity of CBD with the planting medium itself (e.g., potting soil, topsoil, ground soil, nutrient solution, etc.) before or during planting of the plant or plant seed. In certain such embodiments, the planting medium (e.g., soil, nutrient solution, etc.) can act as both the planting medium and the at least one carrier, and thus the CBD-containing composition comprises the planting medium and the quantity of CBD mixed therein. In certain embodiments, other carrier components, such as those described above, may also be mixed with the planting medium before or after mixing with the quantity of CBD. In certain embodiments, the CBD or CBD-containing composition may be provided in the form of a time-release capsule, bolus, particle, nutrient spike or stake, granule, and the like, or mixed with fertilizer or other nutrients in such format. In such embodiments, the composition is applied in its time-release format to the vicinity of the roots of the plant, whereby the CBD (and other nutrients if present) are slowly and/or continuously released to be taken up by the plant root system. Release mechanisms include dilution or erosion by water, degradation of the matrix of the time-release form, and the like.

It will be appreciated that, in certain embodiments, plants may be grown without traditional soil or growth medium, for example via aquaponics, fogponics, and the like, whereby the plant roots reside in air or in a planting medium comprising an aqueous nutrient solution. As such, in certain embodiments, applying the CBD or CBD-containing composition to the plant and/or plant roots may comprise adding the CBD or CBD-containing composition into the aqueous nutrient solution in which the plat roots reside or in which the plant is subsequently introduced.

The composition may be applied once or multiple times, and the amount of the composition applied may depend on the number of treatments and/or growth progress of the plant. In preferred embodiments, the CBD-containing composition is applied every 1 to 10 days, preferably every 2 to 5 days, and/or for a period of 1 to 90 days, preferably 2 to 60 days, and more preferably 3 to 40 days. In certain embodiments, the CBD-containing composition is applied a total of about 1 to about 100 times, preferably about 5 to about 50 times, and more preferably about 10 to about 20 times, before harvesting the plant or plant part. In certain embodiments, the CBD-containing composition is applied to the planting medium in an amount of about 1 gram to about 100 grams, preferably about 2 grams to about 5 grams, and more preferably about 3 to about 20 grams. However, it should be understood that this amount can be varied above and below these ranges depending on a variety of factors, such as the size of the plant, the amount of fruit produced by the plant, and the progress of the plant growth.

In certain embodiments, and particularly when using soil-based planting mediums, the planting medium should be watered immediately after application of the CBD-containing composition, for example with 6 hours, preferably within 1 hour, and more preferably within 30 minutes after application of the composition. It should be understood that the planting medium should also be watered regularly in appropriate amounts for the particular plant being grown, the particular planting medium, and the growing conditions.

In certain embodiments, and particularly when using an aqueous solution as the planting medium (e.g., aquaponics, fogponics, and the like), the watering step may comprise simply placing the plant roots or plant seed into the aqueous solution or otherwise applying the aqueous solution, fog, or mist, to the plant roots or seeds as required for the appropriate growth technique.

Without being bound by any theories, it is believed that upon watering and/or during normal plant growth, the plant roots uptake CBD within the CBD-containing composition similar to the mechanisms for typical nutrient uptake, such as root interception, mass flow, and/or diffusion. Again, without being bound by any theories, it is believed that upon contact with the roots, the CBD is transferred across the Casparian strip of the roots, for example by CBD- specific carriers and/or carriers specific to other molecules that have a binding site to which the CBD may attach, or that the CBD binds with one or more nutrients and is carried across, along with the nutrients, by the carriers specific to those nutrients. Regardless the mechanism, upon application of the CBD-containing composition and appropriate watering and growth of the plant, the plant or plant part (e.g., roots, stem, leaves, flower, fruit, etc.) becomes infused with CBD.

After an appropriate amount of time, watering, and/or applications of the CBD- containing composition, the plant or plant part may be harvested to produce a CBD-infused plant product. The plant may be (or plant part may be derived from) any of a number of plants that can be harvested and consumed (e.g., ingested, used as a topical treatment, etc.). Exemplary plants include, but are not limited to, those that can be used to produce fruits, vegetables, aloe vera, herbs, and medicines (in the form of tablets, pills, capsules, ointments, etc.). In certain embodiments, the plant is a tomato or cherry tomato plant, and the plant part is a tomato or cherry tomato. Embodiments described herein can also extend to fungi, and particularly consumable fungi such as mushrooms. Although fungi are not classified as part of the plant kingdom, they absorb nutrients from soil or other substrate through their mycelium, much like the roots of a plant, and thus may be used in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. Unless excluded based upon context, the term “plant” encompasses fungi for ease of reference. In certain embodiments, the plant or plant part does not include bryophytes, which are an informal group of land plants generally consisting of three phyla: liverwort, hornworts, and mosses. Bryophytes are non-vascular plants that lack a root system and thus may not uptake CBD as well as other plants, or at all.

Regardless, the resulting CBD-infused plant and/or plant part generally comprises a CBD concentration of at least about 0.001% by weight, preferably at least about 0.01% by weight, more preferably at least about 0.1% by weight, and most preferably at least about 1% by weight, with the entirety of the plant and/or plant part taken as 100% by weight. In certain embodiments, the CBD-infused plant and/or plant part comprises a CBD concentration of about 0.001% to about 10% by weight, preferably about 0.005% to about 5% by weight, more preferably about 0.01% to about 2% by weight, with the entirety of the plant and/or plant part taken as 100% by weight.

In certain embodiments, the CBD-infused plant and/or plant part may be partially or entirely dehydrated, thus reducing or eliminating the water content and providing a product having greater CBD concentration. In certain such embodiments, the dehydrated CBD-infused plant and/or plant part may comprise a CBD concentration of at least 1% by weight, preferably at least 2% by weight, more preferably at least about 5% by weight, and most preferably at least about 10% by weight, with the entirety of the dehydrated plant and/or plant part taken as 100% by weight. In certain embodiments, the dehydrated CBD-infused plant and/or plant part comprises a CBD concentration of about 0.01% to about 20% by weight, preferably about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, more preferably about 1% to about 12% by weight, with the entirety of the plant and/or plant part taken as 100% by weight.

Additionally, in certain embodiments, the CBD-infused plant and/or plant part comprises less than 1% by weight, preferably less than 0.1% by weight, more preferably less than 0.01% by weight, and most preferably less than 0.001% by weight (i.e., substantially free of) THC and/or other cannabinoids.

Embodiments according to the present invention have a number of advantages. For example, preferred embodiments utilize substantially pure CBD, for example CBD isolate, which is tasteless and odorless. Thus, when the CBD is taken into the plant during the growth process, the vegetable tastes like the vegetable and does not have an undesirable taste like conventional CBD products. Additionally, because the CBD can be infused into fruits and vegetables, regular consumption of the resulting product can improve overall health. This is particularly true because, in certain embodiments, the CBD-containing composition comprises (consists of, or consists essentially of) all natural ingredients, and thus the resulting plant or vegetable is infused with the CBD in a natural or organic process.

Additional advantages of the various embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure herein and the working examples below. It will be appreciated that the various embodiments described herein are not necessarily mutually exclusive unless otherwise indicated herein. For example, a feature described or depicted in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the present invention encompasses a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the specific embodiments described herein.

As used herein, the phrase "and/or," when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed. For example, if a composition is described as containing or excluding components A, B, and/or C, the composition can contain or exclude A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.

The present description also uses numerical ranges to quantify certain parameters relating to various embodiments of the invention. It should be understood that when numerical ranges are provided, such ranges are to be construed as providing literal support for claim limitations that only recite the lower value of the range as well as claim limitations that only recite the upper value of the range. For example, a disclosed numerical range of about 10 to about 100 provides literal support for a claim reciting "greater than about 10" (with no upper bounds) and a claim reciting "less than about 100" (with no lower bounds).

EXAMPLE

The following example sets forth methods of infusing a plant or plant part with CBD in accordance with the invention. It is to be understood, however, that this example is provided by way of illustration and nothing therein should be taken as a limitation upon the overall scope of the invention.

In order to infuse CBD into the plant, fruit, or vegetable, other ingredients should also be introduced into the formula. An exemplary formula was prepared, using 3 ingredients based on the benefits the product would then provide as a whole. CCb-extracted CBD Isolate (from Extract Labs) was chosen to supply a concentrated, tasteless, odorless, 99.97% pure CBD source that was able to mix easily with the formula recipe. Egg shells (Bird Paradise) were chosen for calcium content. Coffee grounds (Folgers Coffeehouse Blend) were chosen for nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other micronutrients. Coffee grounds may also repel certain bugs and insects, which would harm the plants. Coffee grounds may also act as a slow-release fertilizer.

Thus, the exemplary formula composition comprised the following ingredients:

Egg shells - source of calcium carbonate (CaCCh)

Coffee grounds - source of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and micronutrients CCh-extracted CBD Isolate

The eggshells were ground into a powder form. The coffee grounds were ground into a powder form. The CBD Isolate was already in a concentrated powder form. All ingredients were combined in a sealed container and mixed thoroughly.

The final mixture comprised the following:

250 grams of crushed eggshell powder

50 grams of coffee ground powder

2 grams of CCh-extracted CBD Isolate = ~2000mg of CBD

The mixture was applied like a common plant food. The formula was sprinkled around the base of the plant evenly and in the instructed amount. The plant was watered immediately and regularly for the plant or vegetable to grow.

A cherry tomato plant (Harvest Select) had small green tomatoes already growing when it was planted. (See Fig. 1). One teaspoon (4.2 grams) of the mixture was applied to the tomato plant once every 3 days. The mixture was applied 12 times during the growth period equaling 12 teaspoons (50.4 grams).

Four ripened (red) tomatoes (See Figure 2) were then harvested and sent to ACS Laboratory for analysis of cannabinoid content (See Figure 3). A single tomato was analyzed. As shown Tables 1 and 2, the analysis confirmed that tomato comprised about 0.010% CBD, with no detectable amounts of other cannabinoids.

Table 1 - Total Cannabinoids

Table 2 - Potency

Total CBD = CBD + (CBD-A * 0.877); Total THC = (THCA-A * 0.877) + Delta 9 THC; Total CBG = (CBGA * 0.877) + CBG; Total CBN = (CBNA * 0.877) + CBN; Other Cannabinoids = CBC + CBDV + THCV + THCV-A; Total Cannabinoids = Total CBD + Total THC + Total CBG + Total CBN + CBC + CBDV + THCV + THCV-A; Total (mg) = Total (%) - 100 * Net Weight (mg); (mg/g) = milligram per gram; LOQ = Limit of Quantitation