Canada: Canopy Growth finances the first cannabis professorship

In early June, the University of British Columbia announced a new research program focused on cannabis and its therapeutic potential. This two-year program will be led by Professor Evan Wood and will address the social issues surrounding the opioid crisis. The new cannabis research students will be tasked with evaluating whether medical cannabis can help curb this scourge.

The program receives 500,000$ in core funding from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, and $2.5 million in funding from the giant Canopy Growth.

A philanthropic donation?

The number of Canadians who died from opioid overdoses last year was 4,000, with 1,400 of those deaths occurring in British Columbia. The province has declared a public health emergency. Social stakeholders such as universities and the government feel a duty to take action.

It is also not all that surprising to see a private company like Canopy Growth getting involved in public policy when one considers the potential benefits to the company if cannabis proves to be a viable alternative to opioids. Furthermore, the company has a long tradition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and research. It funds prevention and education initiatives in partnership with public entities, and its subsidiary Canopy Health Innovations Inc., which the company intends to acquire in its entirety, is entirely dedicated to research.

The company’s president, Mark Zekulin, even states: «Our company strives to be involved in its home community. Here in British Columbia, we feel a responsibility to invest in the community’s well-being.» He thus cites a humanitarian goal and aims to be the leading contributor to building a legacy of research on medical cannabis—not only in Canada, but for the entire world.

This allocation of funds to the university is presented as a philanthropic donation: the company will have no influence over the program’s direction or outcomes. However, it is not without benefits for the company—at least from a symbolic standpoint—since the chair will be named the Canopy Growth Professorship in Cannabis Science. Should the results be positive, the association with the benefactor’s name and activities could prove highly lucrative. The company could effectively gain a certain level of priority thanks to this global publicity stunt. More broadly, the donation lends credibility to the company as a champion of the public good and justifies its activities in the eyes of the world and of countries less open to legalization.

Satisfied Partners

Judy Darcy, from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, said, «It is encouraging to see the private sector taking a step to support our efforts and resolve this unprecedented crisis.».

Dermot Kelleher of the UBC Faculty of Medicine says: «UBC is delighted to begin a partnership with Canopy Growth to generate new knowledge that could help stem the tide of opioid overdoses and contribute to improved health and well-being.».

According to Evan Wood, this kind of study (the two previousvarious studies (American studies on the subject exist) lacked the legitimacy needed to access traditional funding channels, largely due to prohibition, which he describes as a ’huge mistake.« He adds: »Traditionally, universities develop programs centered around a specific disease, but this level of interest has never extended to addiction issues, which have always been neglected.« He therefore welcomes the partnership between the government, the scientific community, and cannabis producers, which he believes heralds a progressive approach to drug-related issues and lends recognition and credibility to the problem of addiction.