Health Canada has granted Brock University a license to conduct cannabis analysis.

The Analytical Testing license enables Brock researchers to examine samples from the cannabis industry to help companies develop their products and meet safety standards.

This testing will take place using cutting-edge equipment within the Brock-Niagara Validation, Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute (VPMI).

“The cannabis analysis license truly opens the doors for the types of support that the VPMI can provide for the industry across the Niagara region, Ontario and Canada,” says VPMI Scientific Director and Associate Professor of Chemistry Paul Zelisko.

With the license, the VPMI team can provide quality control for the cannabis industry by testing the chemical and biological components of products for effectiveness and safety, says Zelisko.

“The licence will also permit the VPMI to support stakeholders in typing cannabis strains for more targeted and personalized applications and to help those within the industry to find value added compounds in waste materials to promote a more circular economy,” he says.

Waste materials arising out of cannabis production include the leaves, stems and roots of the plants. Zelisko says cannabis products used for health or recreational purposes are typically derived only from the buds of the plant, leaving the rest of the plant as regulated waste.

“Discovering valuable compounds in this waste material can help a company mitigate costly disposal fees and/or develop new revenue streams,” he says.

The testing will also help companies evaluate the addition of particular flavours and scents to their edible, beverage and vaping products and ensure that the psychoactive components in the products don’t exceed the legislated levels, he says.

Brock Acting Vice-President, Research Michelle McGinn calls the new license “a milestone” for Brock University and the Niagara region.

“It opens a new frontier for cannabis research that has immense implications for public health and economic growth,” she says. “Consistent with VPMI’s mission, we are applying our specialized knowledge and state-of-the-art equipment to solve real-world challenges and thereby demonstrating how science and business flourish together.”

Health Canada has also renewed a research-related cannabis license granted to Brock University, which was one of the first universities in the country to receive a cannabis-related research and development license.

That license, issued in 2019, permitted Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) researchers and local industry partners to identify plant virus infections in cannabis and the other developing cannabis-infused drink technology.