The 4th Cannabis Scientific Symposium: From Plants to People, to be held May 5–6 at the RI-MUHC, brings together top researchers as well as investigators, policymakers and industrial stakeholders from across Canada and around the globe. Among the speakers Allyn Howlett and Bruce Bugbee, two of the most influential scientists in cannabinoid and cannabis research.
The event is co-hosted by the McGill Research Centre for Cannabis (MRCC) and Quality Assurance and Quality Control for Cannabis (QAQCC). MRCC has emerged as a world leader in multidisciplinary cannabis science, while QAQCC has trained over 50 graduate students at three participating universities, mostly at the MSc level, in different cannabis research areas including quality assurance and quality control.
With over 60 affiliated investigators across the Macdonald and downtown campuses and the Research Institute of the MUHC, the MRCC has a broad focus: everything from cultivation and production to biomedical applications and policy.
The symposium reflects the educational facet of MRCC’s work, which also includes online short courses covering the journey of cannabis “from plant to people,” delivered in partnership with international institutions, including one in Malta.
“We’ve gone from planning future research to seeing trainees share the impactful work they’re doing right now,” said Carolyn Baglole, Director of the MRCC, and Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine.
Medical potential
Carolyn Baglole, Director of the McGill Research Centre for Cannabis
Cannabis research has evolved dramatically since the plant’s legalization in Canada in 2018. This pivotal change opened doors for academic and clinical exploration previously restricted by law, and enabled researchers to apply their existing expertise – in plant biology, toxicology or medicine – to cannabis.
Despite the long history of human use, “we quickly realized how little we knew about the cannabis plant and how much potential it holds, especially for medical applications,” said Baglole. “The need to balance safety with efficacy, along with the significant gaps in knowledge, has led us down a fascinating scientific path.”
As scientific data continues to emerge, understanding of cannabis’s potential will further evolve and improve, she said.
“Medical applications will remain at the forefront of cannabis research. The public, scientists and the medical community all want a clearer understanding of what cannabis can be used for, and what it can’t,” Baglole said.
“In my own work on chronic lung disease caused by cigarette smoke, it was a natural step to examine how cannabis inhalation affects the lungs,” she said. “And with vaping now legal and growing in popularity, especially among youth, it has become a central focus of my research program.”
Quality control, quality assurance
Mark Lefsrud, Director, Quality Assurance and Quality Control for CannabisTom DiSandol
Legalization created major opportunities for Canadian cannabis companies, but inconsistent and non-validated methods led to variability in yield, potency and product quality.
To addressing a critical workforce gap, MRCC helped create QAQCC in 2020, thanks to the NSERC CREATE initiative.
“More than half of our trainees have gone on to work in the cannabis industry or with government agencies, applying their training to improve standards and methodologies. Some have joined Health Canada, while others have taken roles overseas, contributing to cannabis operations or regulatory work abroad,” said Mark Lefsrud, QAQCC Director and Associate Professor of Bioresource Engineering. “A number of our trainees also transition into indoor agriculture, as the skills and knowledge are highly transferable across controlled environment systems.”
The work at the QAQCC covers everything from seed germination and extraction to post-harvest processing.
“As our research evolved, we began collaborating with Carolyn Baglole on preclinical studies. We test our cannabis extracts on cell cultures to examine their biological effects and underlying pathways,” said Lefsrud. “While we don’t conduct clinical research, our work contributes valuable preclinical insights.”
Registration is open for the Annual Cannabis Scientific Symposium.
Symposium at the RI-MUHC in May brings together experts and trainees from across Canada and abroad Read More
