Grant: Operating Grant

Cannabis sativa (marijuana) is used to treat a range of diseases and conditions such as spasticity and neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, nausea/vomiting from chemotherapy, and severe cancer pain. More than 19,000 Canadians (May 2012) suffering from terminal or debilitating diseases have authorization from Health Canada to use medicinal cannabis. Its unique effects are due to the presence of a group of chemicals called cannabinoids, which include delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and more than 70 related chemicals found only in the cannabis plant. THC is responsible for the mood-altering and pain-relieving effects of cannabis. Despite its widespread, legal use by patients in Canada, there is a paucity of research on the cannabis plant and its medicinal effects. We propose to sequence and map the genome of Cannabis sativa and analyze this information to determine how cannabinoids are made. The underlying goal of this work is to better understand how cannabis produces medicinal compounds so that its potential to treat disease and alleviate suffering can be exploited. There are three main objectives of our proposed research: 1) to produce a genetic map of the cannabis genome, which will allow the fragmented pieces to be assembled into a more complete reference for use by researchers worldwide; 2) to use this genomic information to identify the proteins (transcription factors) that control the expression of the cannabinoid pathway; and 3) to identify the genes that encode the enzymes of the cannabinoid biochemical pathway. In addition to the knowledge useful for biotechnological modification of cannabis, this research will shed light on the evolutionary history and domestication of this important medicinal plant.