Stevia Corp. of Indianapolis, an international farm management and healthcare company focused on commercial development of products that include stevia and hemp, announced Jan. 19 that it is filing a provisional patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the treatment of pain using ibuprofen and Cannabidiol (CBD).

The patent closely follows the company’s previously announced patent filing for an acetaminophen and CBD compound and includes multiple claims including, but not limited to, combinations of cannabinoids and ibuprofen for the treatment of pain.

A provisional patent application is a legal document that establishes an early priority date for the benefit of claiming “first to file” status against other companies or individuals that may want to file a patent with similar claims at a later date. It was filed with the assistance of an intellectual property attorney.

The move is likely influenced by the potential legislative battle over legalizing medical marijuana in Indiana. There are currently two bills that have been introduced for consideration this year, Senate Bill 284 by Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Portage, and House Bill 1487 by Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie.

Last month, Congress passed a spending bill that included ending federal raids in states where medical marijuana is legal; 32 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana in some form. However, most experts agree that Indiana will likely be one of the last states to pass such legislation due to its Republican-controlled state government.

Sources: Stevia Corp. and The Courier-Journal