The Commonwealth Project is built on a simple but urgent conviction: America’s seniors deserve better care—today, not a decade from now. We are leading a national movement to transform health and longevity for people aged 65 and older by restoring balance to the body’s most overlooked regulatory system: The Endocannabinoid System (ECS).

Through real-world evidence (RWE), innovative care delivery, and payer–provider partnerships, we are advancing one of the most important health initiatives for older adults in decades—delivering safer, more dignified, and more affordable care at scale.

Our Breakthrough Ideas

Over seven years of work, Howard Kessler and The Commonwealth Project team have pioneered many breakthroughs that redefine how aging care can and should work. We continue to operate under the following values and beliefs:

• 65+ as a Distinct Clinical Population
  TCP’s foundational insight: Americans aged 65 and older must be treated as a separate group in healthcare delivery, drug development, and clinical trials. Their biology, risk profiles, and therapeutic needs demand tailored protocols—not recycled standards designed for younger adults without comorbidities
• Harnessing the Payer–Provider System
  Working with payers, providers, and their doctors—leveraging health records, value-based programs, and trusted clinical networks to scale change immediately.
• Care at Home and in Long Term Care Settings
  Through telemedicine and direct delivery, seniors should be empowered to access ECS-based therapies safely in their homes or long-term care settings.
• ECS Restoration: What Doctors Often Don’t Know
  Our work shines a light on endocannabinoid deficiency syndrome—a widespread but unrecognized condition that contributes to pain, sleep disruption, inflammation, and cognitive decline. Restoring ECS balance with CBD-first protocols reduces reliance on opioids and benzodiazepines while improving quality of life.
• CBD First, THC When Ready
  We start with safe, non-intoxicating CBD and add THC only when rescheduled—following the principle of “start low, go slow,” tailored to the senior population.
• Economic Impact
  Our model could generate approximately $60 billion in annual savings for CMS by reducing hospitalizations, drug dependence, and adverse events—while making care safer and more affordable.
• Access and Affordability
  Opioids and benzos are covered by insurance. Safe, validated ECS therapies must be too. Accelerating coverage is the fastest way to engage physicians and protect patients.
• Experience and Evidence
  We build on the legacy of Realm of Caring and research from Johns Hopkins University, using biomarker-driven science to link ECS restoration to measurable health outcomes.
• Warp Speed for Seniors
  Unlike the 7–10 year cycle of traditional clinical trials, we aim to deliver solutions at warp speed with the use of real world data, AI, and strategic partnerships, accelerating a right-to-try approach that meets seniors’ needs in real time.

Howard Kessler’s The Commonwealth Project is not just another research initiative — it’s a blueprint for systemic change. By aligning providers, payers, caregivers, and plant-touching companies with innovative regulatory guidelines tailored to the needs of aging populations, The Commonwealth Project establishes a credible, scalable, and affordable pathway to healthier lives or seniors. We are restoring balance — biologically, economically, and ethically.