Cannabidiol is the major nonpsychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Cannabidiol demonstrates a range of effects that may be therapeutically useful, including anti-seizure, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-tumor, anti-psychotic, and anti-anxiety properties. Exact mechanism of action of cannabidiol is not known, but may include effects on the orphan G-protein-coupled receptor GPR55; the transient receptor potential of vanilloid type-1 channel; the 5-HT1a receptor; and the α3 glycine receptors. GW Pharmaceuticals successfully developed the world’s first prescription medicine derived from the cannabis plant, Sativex® (buccal spray containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol) now approved in over 29 countries outside of the United States for the treatment of spasticity due to Multiple Sclerosis. GW Pharmaceuticals is developing Epidiolex® (a liquid formulation of pure plant-derived cannabidiol) for certain rare and severe early-onset, drug-resistant epilepsy syndromes.

Cannabidivarin is a homolog of cannabidiol, with a well-established antiepileptiform profile in preclinical studies, both in vitro and in vivo animal models of epilepsy. The oral bioavailability of cannabidivarin is very low (about 6%) due to erratic absorption and first pass metabolism. After oral administration, the maximum plasma concentration of Cannabidivarin is rising in about three hours and the drug has a large volume of distribution, because of his link to protein plasma, being highly liposoluble, so CBDV can penetrate well to the brain. Cannabidivarin is also metabolized in the liver to 7-COOH and 6-OH metabolites, but the mechanism is also unknown. There is an ongoing phase II double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that is assessing the efficacy and safety of cannabidivarin in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).