Langara College receives $3.3 million in funding for cannabis research.
Researchers at Langara College recently embarked on a five-year project studying cannabis varietals. The Applied Science for the Canadian Cannabis Industry (ASCCI) research project is being supported by grants of $2 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and $1.3 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), one of the largest amounts to be awarded to a post-secondary institution in British Columbia for cannabis research.
Advancements for a young and growing industry.
- Chemistry,
- Biology, and
- Bioinformatics.
It will also provide opportunities for Langara students to gain valuable research experiences.
Collaboration with industry leaders.
Industry partners Pure Sunfarms, Ascension Sciences Inc., and Nextleaf are providing additional financial support of $400,000, bringing the project’s funding total to $3.7 million. Each is already an established leader in the cannabis industry and collaboration with them is an important part of the research.
Research milestones will be noted on this page throughout the course of the ASCCI project.
Project funding agencies and industry partners.
About Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
NSERC invests over $1.2 billion each year in natural sciences and engineering research in Canada. Our investments deliver discoveries—valuable world-firsts in knowledge claimed by a brain trust of over 12,000 professors. Our investments enable partnerships and collaborations that connect the makers and users of discoveries. Research partnerships established by NSERC help inform research and development and solve scale-up challenges. NSERC also provides scholarships and hands-on training experience for more than 30,000 post-secondary students and post-doctoral fellows. These young researchers will be the next generation of science and engineering leaders in Canada.
About the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
For more than 20 years, the CFI has been giving researchers the tools they need to think big and innovate. Fostering a robust innovation system in Canada translates into jobs and new enterprises, better health, cleaner environments and, ultimately, vibrant communities. By investing in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in Canada’s universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions, the CFI also helps to attract and retain the world’s top talent, to train the next generation of researchers and to support world-class research that strengthens the economy and improves the quality of life for all Canadians.
About Pure Sunfarms
Located in Delta, British Columbia, Pure Sunfarms is one of Canada’s largest, single site, licensed producers of high-quality, greenhouse-grown cannabis. With decades of growing experience and 1.1 million square feet of best-in-class greenhouse operations, the company has capacity to produce 75,000 kilograms of dried flower annually for the Canadian recreational market. Current supply agreements in place include the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation (OCRC) (operating as the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS)), the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB), Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC), the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), and most recently, the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation. Pure Sunfarms also provides cannabis to other Licensed Producers in Canada. Pure Sunfarms is converting a second 1.1 million square foot greenhouse for cannabis production, which is expected to double annual output capacity to 150,000 kilograms. The company also holds an option on an additional greenhouse facility, currently owned and operated by Village Farms, which could further increase total production area by approximately 2.6 million square feet. Pure Sunfarms is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Village Farms International, Inc.
About Ascension Sciences Inc.
Ascension Sciences Inc. is developing cannabinoid nano delivery platforms and techniques for the pharma and nutraceutical industries by employing nanoparticle formulation technology from the cutting edge of genetic medicine. Liposomes, nanoemulsions, lipid nanoparticles and polymeric nanoparticles have all shown promise in improving the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids, but the full potential of these therapies has not yet been unlocked. Ascension Sciences' R&D and formulation development services and licensable platforms are an efficient option for research driven firms that require the advantages of nanoparticle delivery for their active ingredients. We work with other passionate researchers in the industry that share a common goal of improving the human condition and bringing novel therapies to those who need them most.
About Nextleaf®
Nextleaf is an innovative cannabis processor that owns one of the largest portfolios of U.S. patents for the extraction, distillation, and delivery of cannabinoids. Nextleaf supplies cannabis oils to its wholesale customers and distributes consumer products under its award-winning prohibition-era brand, Glacial Gold™. Nextleaf’s proprietary closed-loop automated extraction plant in Metro Vancouver has a design capacity to process 600 kilos of dried cannabis into oil per day. Nextleaf is developing delivery technology through its Health Canada Research Licence with sensory evaluation of cannabis via human testing. The Company owns 15 U.S. patents and has been issued over 80 patents globally. Nextleaf Solutions trades as OILS on the Canadian Securities Exchange, OILFF on the OTCQB Market in the United States, and L0MA on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.