Charles R. Broderick, an alumnus of Harvard University and MIT, has made gifts to both alma maters to support fundamental research into the effects of cannabis on the brain and behavior. The total gift of $9 million ($4.5 million to each institution) represents the largest donation to date to support independent research of the science of cannabinoids. The Broderick gift provides $4.5 million to establish the Charles R. Broderick Phytocannabinoid Research Initiative at Harvard Medical School, which will fund basic, translational and clinical research across the HMS community to generate fundamental insights about the effects of cannabinoids on brain function, various organ systems and overall health.