The Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) inaugurates, this Tuesday (18), its Active Germplasm Bank of Cannabis sativa L. The ceremony will be held at 2:00 p.m. at the institution's Department of Forestry Engineering, in Viçosa (MG).

Following the ceremony, guests will be able to tour the facilities and infrastructure dedicated to the conservation and study of the plant's genetic material. Professor Derly José Henriques da Silva, curator of the bank, and researcher Renato de Traglia Tonini, representative of Cannabreed Brasil, are leading the invitation to the event.

The inauguration marks a new phase of the project announced by the University in October 2024. At the time, UFV stated that it would be the first Brazilian public institution to host a genetic bank of Cannabis sativa L.

Bank could house up to 5,000 varieties

The Germplasm Bank was developed to preserve seeds and generate information on the genetic diversity of cannabis. UFV expects to gather materials from up to five thousand different types of the plant, sourced from various regions across Brazil and other countries.

The seeds can be cultivated so researchers can describe their characteristics, productive capacity, and adaptation to tropical climates. The studies will also aim to identify the most suitable applications for each variety, including the production of pharmaceuticals, fibers, food, oils, and other derivatives.

The stored materials will form a genetic repository that can support research and breeding programs. According to the University, the scientific data generated will be made available to the academic community, while access to the genetic materials will take place through agreements with interested institutions and companies.

Project began development in 2023

In 2023, UFV signed an agreement with Cannabreed Technology Brasil to establish the bank and study different cannabis varieties in greenhouses and in the field. The project is coordinated by Derly José Henriques da Silva, professor in the Department of Agronomy, who has managed the University's Vegetable Germplasm Bank for over two decades.

The implementation was made possible by a ruling from the Federal Court Subsection of Viçosa, affiliated with the Federal Regional Court of the 6th Region (TRF-6). The facility occupies an area of nearly one hectare in the Vale da Agronomia and is equipped with security and surveillance systems monitored by UFV Security.

“The number of studies aimed at the safe use of cannabinoids in human health is growing. Medications made with these active ingredients are already marketed worldwide, but prices remain very high for those who need them. Our country has the appropriate climate and soil to grow this plant with all its potential. What we at UFV want is to conduct research to understand the plant and its agronomic requirements when cultivated here in Brazil, so that we can enable safe and sustainable production,” Derly stated during the project's presentation in 2024.

Event Information

Inauguration of the Active Germplasm Bank of Cannabis sativa L.
Date: August 18, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Department of Forestry Engineering at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, in Viçosa (MG)