NEW YORK,
July 27, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – CleverLeaves Holdings Inc., a leading multinational operator and licensed
producer of pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids, and Biopharmaceutical Research Company
(BRC), a specialty pharmaceutical company that holds federal licenses for
importing, analyzing and manufacturing controlled substances in the U.S., announced
a joint partnership with the intent to study the DNA sequence variation of
three Clever Leaves’ cannabis cultivars as part of their Project Change Lives
campaign. The University of California, Davis, through an accepted research
sponsorship from BRC, will lead the extraction and analysis of DNA to elucidate
genetic variants taken from various genetic lines of Cannabis sativa.
Project Change
Lives is a U.S.-based initiative sponsored by Clever Leaves, whereby the company
has pledged to contribute up to $25,000,000 retail value of medical cannabis
products to any eligible U.S. organization to help advance scientific research
into the potential medical benefits of cannabinoids. By sponsoring Project
Change Lives, Clever Leaves is offering to provide a historic amount of
pharmaceutical-grade cannabis to leading research institutions in one of the
most advanced pharmaceutical markets in the world.
UC Davis will
be the first major research institution to collaborate in the investigation of
Clever Leaves’ Colombian and Portuguese, pharmaceutical-grade cannabis as part
of Project Change Lives.
Clever Leaves
will provide three of its cultivars to BRC for analysis at its facilities.
Researchers from UC Davis will extract DNA for sequencing and analysis from the
cannabis samples at the BRC facilities. The UC Davis scientists will also test
new approaches to extract RNA from dried material. If successful, researchers
will analyze the data to quantify global gene expression and will use available
pipelines to determine differential gene expression between the three lines
sampled. These data will provide foundational information to initiate new
crosses and a breeding pipeline for the future to ensure the genetic variation
of Cannabis sativa
can be utilized to provide novel and unique medicinal cannabis for new
pharmaceuticals.
Moreover,
analysis of the completed data will reveal the correlation between specific
genotypes of cannabis and the biochemical phenotypes for cannabinoids and
terpenes. Upon completion of the study, UC Davis intends to provide a report
that provides insight into the genetic diversity of the lines and the
feasibility of RNA extraction and gene expression from dried Cannabis sativa material.
These findings will be made widely available for the benefit of the medical and
scientific community—a result that meets one of the key goals of Project Change
Lives.
“We are
honored to collaborate with the UC Davis’ Plant Science department,” Clever
Leaves CEO Kyle Detwiler said. “UC Davis consistently ranks as one of the top
plant sciences programs in the world and shares our commitment to applying a
deeper scientific rigor to cannabis research in order to further our
understanding behind the potentially life-saving applications of cannabinoid
medicine. We are truly excited that UC Davis has become the first U.S. research
institution to align with Project Change Lives, and we look forward to the
expansion of the initiative.”
Distinguished
Professor Gail Taylor, the principal investigator on the research project and
John B. Orr Endowed Chair of the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis
added, “This new project will provide a glimpse into the genetic variation
apparent in contrasting lines of Cannabis
sativa and is part of a larger program at UC Davis to unravel this
variation and begin breeding for cultivars to assist the medicinal cannabis
industry.”
“What a
privilege it is to join forces with Clever Leaves and UC Davis for such a
worthy cause in Project Change Lives,” Biopharmaceutical Research Company CEO George
Hodgin said. “The reputation of UC Davis’s plant sciences program coupled with
the generosity and leadership from Clever Leaves is sure to lead to some
powerful breakthroughs. We’re thrilled to be a part of it and are eager to work
with them to expand research into groundbreaking cannabis treatment discoveries
through this program.”
As part of
Project Change Lives, Clever Leaves has committed to supplying up to 250,000
bottles of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis oils or approximately 5 tons of
medical cannabis flower that will help research institutions develop new
therapies. To eliminate an additional impediment to the advancement of
scientific knowledge around cannabis, this research material will be provided
at no cost to Clever Leaves’ research partners. Organizations interested in
applying can visit www.projectchangelives.org for more information.
