Research & Innovation

Medicinal Organic Cannabis Australia (MOCA) has maintained a longstanding interest in research, quality, sustainability and the development of responsible practices within the medicinal cannabis industry.

Since MOCA was established in 2017, the international medicinal cannabis sector has evolved considerably. Regulatory frameworks, cultivation technologies, analytical standards, manufacturing processes and scientific understanding continue to develop across different jurisdictions.

MOCA's research interests have historically focused on how knowledge from different disciplines and international markets can contribute to improved understanding of cultivation, production, quality and sustainability.

Areas of Research Interest

MOCA has explored a number of areas relevant to the development of the medicinal cannabis industry, including:

• cultivation and production quality;

• organic and sustainable cultivation principles;

• controlled-environment agriculture;

• aquaponic and other water-based cultivation systems;

• extraction and processing technologies;

• international approaches to quality and safety; and

• collaboration between researchers, cultivators, manufacturers and other industry participants.

These areas reflect MOCA's broader interest in understanding how different approaches to cultivation and production can influence quality, consistency and sustainability.

International Collaboration

The development of medicinal cannabis has occurred differently across countries and regulatory environments.

This creates opportunities for researchers and industry participants to compare experiences, technologies and practices across jurisdictions.

MOCA has historically explored collaborative research concepts involving specialists from a range of countries and disciplines, with particular interest in identifying practices that could contribute to improved cultivation, production, quality and sustainability.

Organic and Sustainable Cultivation

One area of particular interest has been the application of organic cultivation principles to medicinal cannabis.

Different cultivation systems — including soil-based, hydroponic and aquaponic systems — present different technical, environmental and operational considerations.

Aquaponics combines plant cultivation with recirculating aquaculture systems and has been investigated internationally as a potentially sustainable approach to controlled-environment agriculture.

MOCA has explored the potential application of these principles to medicinal cannabis cultivation, particularly in relation to resource efficiency, cultivation practices and product quality.

Extraction and Processing

Post-harvest processing and extraction represent another important area of technical interest.

Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) extraction has been widely studied as an extraction technology for botanical materials, including Cannabis sativa.

MOCA's historical research interests included examining the relationship between cultivation methods, post-harvest processing and extraction technologies, and considering how these variables may influence the characteristics and consistency of botanical extracts.

Building Knowledge

Research in medicinal cannabis continues to evolve.

MOCA supports the development of evidence, professional collaboration and responsible knowledge-sharing across the medicinal cannabis sector.

Our long-term interest is in contributing to a better understanding of cultivation, production, quality, sustainability and the responsible development of plant-based products.

Selected References

MOCA's historical research work has drawn upon scientific literature across cannabis science, botanical extraction, aquaponics and controlled-environment agriculture, including:

Romano, L. L., & Hazekamp, A. (2013). Cannabis oil: chemical evaluation of an upcoming cannabis-based medicine.

Goddek, S., et al. (2015). Challenges of sustainable and commercial aquaponics. Sustainability, 7(4), 4199–4224.

Zuardi, A. W. (2006). History of cannabis as a medicine: a review. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 28(2), 153–157.

Rakocy, J. E., Masser, M. P., & Losordo, T. M. (2006). Recirculating aquaculture tank production systems: aquaponics—integrating fish and plant culture.

Aladić, K., et al. (2015). Supercritical CO₂ extraction of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed oil. Industrial Crops and Products, 76, 472–478.

Omar, J., et al. (2013). Optimisation and characterisation of cannabis extracts obtained by supercritical fluid extraction and focused ultrasound extraction and retention time locking GC-MS. Journal of Separation Science, 36(8), 1397–1404.

ElSohly, M. A., & Slade, D. (2005). Chemical constituents of marijuana: the complex mixture of natural cannabinoids. Life Sciences, 78(5), 539–548.