Tweed collaborates with leading academics for research

The recently signed Memoranda of Understanding with researchers from Ryerson University and the University of Ottawa will contribute towards building a better knowledge base surrounding medical marijuana in Canada . "With the new regulatory system in place, producers and researchers now have the stability to undertake research not possible in the past," said Tweed CEO Chuck Rifici . "These projects will shed insight into everything from ideal growing conditions to the very question of what makes medical marijuana an effective medicine."

The first experiments on how environment can affect the health and productivity of cannabis plants are already underway. "We know that there are a huge number of environmental factors that can influence the quality of medical marijuana, and our goal is to narrow down on some of those key success factors," said Dr. Lesley Campbell , Assistant Professor in the Ryerson Department of Chemistry and Biology.

Complementing the work being undertaken with Dr. Campbell, Tweed has further partnered with academics Cory Harris , Doug Johnson and John Arnason at the University of Ottawa to assess correlations between active ingredients in medical marijuana and strain effectiveness on selected ailments. "There is an exceptional opportunity to really start to understand the complex effects of active ingredients in marijuana," said University of Ottawa Professor John Arnason . "This work has the potential to open up entire new avenues of research into medical marijuana and we look forward to working with Tweed to move the sector forward."

The research work will be ongoing for the foreseeable future and will be an important aspect of Tweed’s strategic plans.