Grant: Catalyst Grant: Cannabis Research in Urgent Priority Areas

It is estimated that each plant species produces more than 100,000 different chemicals. These compounds are used to help grow, protect and maintain the plant, its seeds, its fruits or its flowers. Some of these chemicals include compounds that have interesting or unintended effects that positively or negatively affect human health or human behavior. Many medicinal plants, including Cannabis, contain medically active or psychoactive compounds. The type, balance and abundance of these compounds can vary from plant to plant, from season to season or from field to field. Accurately measuring and monitoring these plant-derived chemicals is important - especially if these plants or their products are being used for medicinal or recreational purposes. Too much of one compound or too little of another can seriously affect the health or safety of patients or users. Similarly, the presence of herbicides, pesticides, extraction solvents or other processing chemicals in the production of Cannabis products can also lead to safety concerns. In this project, we aim to comprehensively characterize nearly all of the detectable chemicals in Cannabis using a technique called "metabolomics". Metabolomics employs advanced analytical chemistry instruments to identify and quantify large numbers of chemicals or metabolites in cells, tissues and extracts. Metabolomics can also be used for the identification, quantification and characterization of a wide range of chemicals found in plant tissues and plant extracts (ie. oil). This work will allow us to develop fast and simple methods to measure different types of chemicals in Cannabis (or used in the Cannabis production process) to maximize benefit and minimize harm. These new tools and technologies will be made available to Cannabis producers and Cannabis researchers through The Metabolomics Innovation Centre at the University of Alberta.