HIGHLIGHTS
- Atlas Biotechnologies aims to export 1 kg of dried flower to Harvard
- Documentation to permit export is being finalized, Atlas said
- Atlas aims to harvest 5,500 kg of medical cannabis annually
A cannabis grower in Alberta is on track to become the sole supplier for the newest research collaboration at Harvard University’s Medical School with plans to export a small amount of bud to the United States this July.
Edmonton-based Atlas Biotechnologies Inc. is a founding partner of Harvard IPI (International Phytomedicines and Medical Cannabis Institute), which will conduct medical marijuana research. Other members include University of Oxford, Purdue University and IBM.
This will not be the first time cannabis has been exported from Canada to the United States, where it is federally illegal and is prohibited from crossing state or international borders. Last year, Tilray Inc. received approval by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to export a medical cannabis product to the University of California San Diego for use in a clinical trial.
Export documentation for 1 kg of dried flower is being finalized and Harvard has applied for an import exemption with the DEA, Atlas said.
The partnership gives Atlas the opportunity to be part of phytomedicine product developments for neurological conditions, and receive research and trial collaboration results. Atlas plans to contribute as much as US$3-million toward the research over the next three years.
“Atlas intends to prove the efficacy of cannabis chemical compounds for use in medical applications with this partnership, specifically with neurological disorders and chronic pain,” the company said.
The company is developing a broad range of “unique” cannabis cultivars, the company said.
Atlas Biotechnologies owns licensed producer Atlas Growers Ltd, which operates a 38,000 square foot laboratory where it expects to harvest 5,500 kilograms of dried cannabis annually.