. and researchers investigate cannabis-infused beverage
鈥� UBC Okanagan News (@ubconews)
A unique partnership between UBC Okanagan, the British Columbia Institute of Technology and a private company, has opened the door for the research and development of cannabis-infused beverages.
Professor Susan Murch, who teaches chemistry at UBC Okanagan, and Paula Brown, director of BCIT鈥檚 Natural Health and Food Products Research Group and Canada Research Chair in Phytoanalytics have partnered with Pacific Rim Brands, a 琉璃神社-based integrated cannabis company to develop beverage formulas containing cannabis extracts.
鈥淲e are at the early stages of this research and are very excited about the potential for both interesting science and new products for consumers,鈥� says Murch.
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Murch鈥檚 research investigates the chemistry of plants and how plant chemistry affects human health. She鈥檚 interested in cannabis ingredients and how they can be used in beverages.
鈥淲e are seeing industry recalls in cannabis products because we really don鈥檛 know how to use the ingredients on a large scale,鈥� she says. 鈥淢aking stable products that can sit on store shelves for months or years requires innovation.鈥�
BCIT鈥檚 Paula Brown also investigates plant chemistry and works with the natural products industry to develop new products. At the same time, she works to establish standards of quality and ensure regulatory compliance.
鈥淟ike any new sector, the science and formulation will be the most important element to ensure consistency, scalability and trust,鈥� says Brown. 鈥淭here is a lot of work to be done to develop stable, high-quality, consistent cannabis formulations that consumers can use with confidence.鈥�
The partnership with Pacific Rim allows Murch and Brown to develop high-quality cannabis beverages for health, wellness and leisure, explains Kevin Letun, founder and chief strategy officer of Pacific Rim Brands.
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鈥淭his is an exciting time for research institutions and cannabis companies in the private sector,鈥� says Letun. 鈥淭he impeccable credentials of these professors and their on-going research will give industry partners and the consumer the quality assurance they require.鈥�
The collaboration between BCIT, UBC Okanagan and Pacific Rim Brands provides the opportunity to conduct more research about the chemicals in cannabis and at the same time conduct research on products that can be brought to markets across Canada and globally,鈥� says Kim Dotto, Dean of Applied Research at BCIT.
鈥淭his partnership reconfirms the ongoing commitment required to drive research nationally and internationally,鈥� adds Dotto. 鈥淏CIT is committed to these collaborations and applauds the highly-skilled researchers involved with this exciting project.鈥�
Phil Barker, vice-principal research and innovation at UBC鈥檚 Okanagan campus, says the university has a long history of innovation and commercializing new products.
鈥淥ur campus has a growing reputation for embracing creativity and risk-taking, and this research partnership is no exception,鈥� says Barker. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to be at the forefront of responsible research that prioritizes the safe use of cannabis in our communities.鈥�
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