CIGBS partners with CW Labs to advance cannabinoid science

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences (CIGBS) will partner with Charlotte’s Web Labs (CW Labs) on a research initiative to advance understanding of the therapeutic uses of cannabinoids.

The multidisciplinary research program will bring together researchers from the University at Buffalo, University of the West Indies and University of Zimbabwe to develop safe and optimized approaches to cannabinoid therapy. CW Labs is a subsidiary of Charlotte’s Web, a manufacturer of hemp-derived cannabinoid products.

The initiative builds on the research of Gene Morse, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and CIGBS director.

The CIGBS is an international hub that addresses global health challenges through pharmacological research, education and training, and drug and vaccine development.

“These scientists will contribute to a global understanding of cannabinoid replacement therapy approaches,” said Morse. “They bring global expertise in areas such as cellular transport mechanisms that influence cannabinoid distribution throughout the body, clinical pharmacology mechanisms that contribute to different responses among individuals, and drug interactions between cannabinoids and commonly used medications.”

The collaboration will be co-lead by Morse and Jeffrey Lombardo, research assistant professor of pharmacy practice and CIGBS project coordinator for cannabinoid sciences.

Additional UB investigators include Laszlo Mechtler, clinical professor of oncology and neurology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB; and Jason Sprowl, assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Researchers from The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, include Marvin Reid, director of the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit; Thejani Delgoda, professor and director of the Natural Products Institute; and Wendel Abel, professor and head of community health and psychiatry. Charles Maponga, director of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Zimbabwe, is also an investigator.