According to a press release, starting this August, CAFLS and Curio will conduct a two-year study using industrial hemp that will “aim to protect plants from viral pathogens while improving production efficiency.”

Curio Wellness Chief Executive Officer, Michael Bronfein, said in the press release that the partnership is an example of how Curio is “investing in the future of medical cannabis for [its] patients and everyone in need of safe, effective and reliable health solutions.”

Jeff Adelberg, a professor of horticulture in Clemson’s Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, Experiment Station, and a leader in the study, said the project is “unique,” as “both organizations will conduct research using our individual plant collections.

“Research conducted at Clemson will be shared with Curio for use on their plants in Maryland,” Adelberg said. “This collaboration creates an opportunity for researchers from both institutions to use their knowledge to benefit people.”

Matt Taylor, applied science director at Curio Wellness, said the partnership will allow Curio to increase its knowledge base of cannabis tissue culture, which, in turn, will enable the company “to continue cultivating high quality, plant-based medicine for patients in Maryland and beyond.”