The Lambert Initiative

The Lambert Initiative is the outcome of an unprecedented pledge of $33.7 million by Barry and Joy Lambert to the University of Sydney in order to fund long-term research into the medicinal potential of the cannabis plant. 

We hope to continue to raise further funds, particularly for targeted clinical trials in specific areas of severe need and suffering.

Fundraising aims

Our existing funding is sufficient to cover the costs of our core research programs in medicinal chemistry, preclinical and cellular research and some clinical research.

Larger clinical trials are expensive to run and our current budget only allows a very limited number of these to be funded. Yet such clinical trials provide the high-quality evidence that will allow doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis products with confidence.

We are therefore seeking further funds to launch high quality clinical trials in four areas of urgent need where cannabinoid medicines have clear potential that is yet to be realised. These include:

1. Cancer

2. Dementia

3. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

4. Cerebral Palsy

Why give?

“The experience of our granddaughter, who suffers debilitating epilepsy, opened our eyes to the extraordinary possibility of cannabinoids, treating not only her condition, but a range of chronic illnesses that often don’t respond to conventional treatments,” said Mr Barry Lambert. “We believe this investment in the future of Australian science and medicine will provide the much-needed evidence to rapidly advance the use of medicinal cannabinoids in the treatment of childhood epilepsy and other serious illnesses,” he added.

Cannabinoid therapeutics has the potential to treat a range of conditions including paediatric epilepsy, cancer, chronic pain, neurological, and mental health disorders.

Our aim is to run novel clinical trials to help optimise and introduce safe and effective cannabinoid therapeutics into mainstream medicine in Australia and beyond.