If the last 20 years have taught us anything, it’s that patent investment leads market activity. The GMO cannabis patent space already has over 15 corporate owners and independent inventors within it. Canopy Growth, the leader in this space, is trying to stay ahead of its competitors. Just last week, Tweed, a subsidiary of Canopy Growth, had a patent granted in March of 2021 for a GMO cannabis plant with altered production of THCA synthase.
The goal of the invention is to decrease the production of THC while increasing the production of CBD. CBD has been removed from the controlled substances list by the 2018 Farm Act and has since found its way into many products across many industries including food & beverage, health & cosmetics, and much more.
Canopy Growth has focused on buying developed assets rather than creating its own. When Canopy Growth acquired ebbu, Inc. in 2018, they also got control of ebbu’s patent assets which included methods of creating GMO cannabis and hemp plants. Among Canopy Growth in GMO cannabis patents are big names like Librede, recently acquired by Lygos, and Trait Biosciences. Another area of interest for Canopy Growth has been water-soluble cannabinoid formulations which Trait Biosciences specializes in as well. They are now competing in multiple technologies. Canopy Growth could be eyeing Trait Biosciences for acquisition soon to gain access to its patents and other IP assets.
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