Lambton College is expanding its research focus to assist with Canada's cannabis boom.
Dean of Research and Innovation Mehdi Sheikhzadeh said the college has been very active in the bioindustry and biotechnology sector for the last eight to nine years and companies are noticing their work.
He said over the past two years they've been approached by businesses looking for project support in the emerging sector.
"The expertise and also the infrastructure that we have are very similar and they can be used for both sectors -- so we have been accepting all these projects," said Sheikhzadeh. "The hope is that this is going to be a new area of research for us and also it's going to be helpful for training the highly qualified people, our students and graduates, for the sector that is growing."
One of the companies Lambton College is collaborating with is Motif Cannabis Ltd., a cannabis/hemp extraction and refining company in Aylmer, Ontario.
Sheikhzadeh said it's studying the ideal methods and process parameters to target essential oil extraction.