MONCTON – Université de Moncton has created an institutional research project focused on cannabis, the school announced Tuesday.

The federal government, licensed cannabis producer Organigram, Genome Atlantic, Genome Canada and the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) will contribute over $1.1 million over three years as partners in the project.

Organigram will provide the working space, raw materials and experts in collaboration with the university’s research team.

“Our partnership with Organigram combines some of the most promising technologies with a unique access to state-of-the-art cultivation facilities and some of the most popular strains of cannabis,” said David L. Joly, an assistant professor at Université de Moncton’s biology department, in a release. “Such collaboration is vital to ensure that discoveries made in our lab can lead to innovations that will prevent losses, promote productivity and allow the development of novel markets.”

The research will seek to improve the quality of products by using genetic mapping to identify specific traits. This will result in healthier, more resistant plants and improved growing techniques, the release said. The project also aims to improve productivity and cut costs by introducing beneficial microbial inoculants and developing strains with improved traits and conduct genetic research to identify specific markers which will allow specific strains to be protected if necessary. In addition, the research will seek to use genomics to determine the impact of various growing practices on improving key cannabis attributes such as THC/CBD and terpene levels.

“We have been working with the Université de Moncton almost since our inception and look forward to strengthening the collaboration through this project. It is a tremendous example of local, provincial and federal support for the cannabis industry and solidifies Moncton as a world leader in cannabis genetic research,” Organigram CEO Greg Engel said in the release. “The Organigram team is excited to continue to work with Dr. Joly and Dr. [Martin] Filion and to get started on this very important project.”

Genome Atlantic, a not-for-profit corporation that seeks to help Atlantic Canada benefit economically and socially from genomics, will make its contributions through Genome Canada’s new Regional Priorities Partnership Program funding.

“The cannabis sector is an area of strategic importance for New Brunswick and genomics is critical to many high-value components of the cannabis value chain. Building local research capacity in cannabis genomics will give New Brunswick companies a competitive advantage in this rapidly evolving marketplace,” Andy Stone, Genome Atlantic’s director of business development, said in the release.

The federal government is also investing $353,000 in the project through Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s Business Development Program.

The project’s outcomes are expected to closely align with New Brunswick’s Economic Growth Plan and boost potential revenue from the cannabis sector.

The cannabis industry is considered a major economic opportunity for New Brunswick and Canada. The retail market value for recreational cannabis in the country is expected to reach $8.7 billion a year, but current production capacity won’t be able to meet that demand.

The research will explore new approaches, including the application of biotechnology, especially genomics, in the cannabis sector. The release noted that such technologies has led to large increases in yields and the sustainability of other crops, but hasn’t been used for cannabis yet.

The research also builds on commitments by the Canadian government and the Atlantic provinces to drive economic growth in the region through the Atlantic Growth Strategy.

Other benefits of the research project would include training of personnel required to support the growth of this industry, developing proprietary technologies that can be marketed outside, and enhancing New Brunswick’s and Atlantic Canada’s role as a world leader in cannabis science, the release said.

“Cannabis holds tremendous potential for those parts of Canada and the world ready to take advantage of it,” said NBIF director of research Dr. Laura Richard. “The NBIF is pleased to support a project that increases New Brunswick’s competitive advantage in this burgeoning sector by bringing together experts in industry and academia to use genomics in new ways that improve the quality of cannabis products.”