Abstract Description

Research and Development (R&D) in the medicinal Cannabis industry operates within one of the fastest‑moving regulated markets, where product trends, formulations, new dosage formats, and compliance requirements are everchanging. Beyond laboratory experimentation, R&D must continuously translate scientific discovery into scalable, compliant, and commercially viable solutions. This requires R&D involvement throughout the product lifecycle, integrating formulation development, control strategy, compliance, validation, and analytical testing to connect innovation with manufacturing agility. Effective R&D must be adaptive and precise, managing risk in real time, ensuring rapid output of product and process designs, and shortening the timeline between concept and launch. Post‑commercialisation, R&D continues to refine formulations, valorise waste streams, and enhance efficiency through ongoing experimentation. Recovering cannabinoids through valorisation experiments, improving terpene yield through process discovery and optimisation, and driving yield optimisation in the various manufacturing stages. Within the Cannabis sector, the utilisation of waste streams as alternative sources of API can yield measurable economic gains, as biomass remains the dominant cost driver. However, this requires structured experimental design and optimisation studies to define viable process parameters. Through data‑driven decision‑making, R&D builds the agility and flexibility needed to stay competitive, compliant, and innovative in an ever‑accelerating bioeconomy.