The University of Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss, will begin offering a masters degree program for medical cannabis research.

According to the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger, Ole Miss will begin offering the program in late 2024. The online-only program through the Ole Miss School of Pharmacy will focus on the development of medical cannabis products as well as dietary supplements, both of which have experienced an increased pool of users in recent years both in Mississippi and across the country.

Director of online graduate programs in the biomedical sciences department, David Colby, told the Clarion-Ledger that the program will be more focused on students who want to learn about dietary supplements and how they’re made, including but not limited to medical cannabis products. 

“The purpose is to provide advanced training for people who are seeking employment or want to advance their current jobs in dietary supplements, which could be herbal products or medical cannabis,” Colby said to the Clarion-Ledger. “We’re more focused on providing the skills for people to be successful in the industry.”

Ole Miss has actually been involved in cannabis research since the 1960’s. According to the school’s website, Ole Miss first built a cannabis grow facility for research purposes in 1968. By 1976 the university was growing over 100 varieties of cannabis and they are known today as one of the leading American universities when it comes to cannabis research. 

“We’re a national leader in dietary supplements and medical cannabis,” Colby said. “And now we’re going to fully build a curriculum across our university to serve our students.”

The new program will be separate from the already-established Ole Miss growing facilities and is intended for people who may already be in the medical cannabis or dietary supplement industry as well as newcomers to either field. It focuses more on the design aspect of these products than the consumption or use of them, according to the Clarion-Ledger.

Colby told the Clarion-Ledger that he expects the new program will have a large presence of people who are employed in lower level positions in the developing medical cannabis industry or in the long-established yet ever-evolving dietary supplement market who are looking to find a leg up on the competition or acquire technical skills that may lead to career advancement. 

“Since it’s entirely online, we do expect that we will have students that are partially or fully employed, particularly maybe even already fully employed in the industry, but they want to move ahead. So perhaps they’re operating in an entry-level position and they want to move into something with regulatory affairs or something with formulation and manufacturing, or look at more analytical chemistry or [research and development],” Colby said. “They will be able to do that with this degree.”

The program is split into two parts: with one year of study dedicated to learning about dietary supplements and the second year dedicated to medical cannabis. According to the Clarion Ledger, each part of the program has five required courses and is 30 credit hours in total. 

The respective legs of the program will each cover history, pharmacology and toxicology of medical cannabis and dietary supplements, but the cannabis portion of the program looks at the additional factors of  policy and law, formulation and manufacturing, chemistry and standardization, and plant genomics. 

Ole Miss Professor Hayley Prescot, who serves an instructional assistant professor of biomolecular sciences and will be teaching part of the dietary supplements section of the new program, told the Clarion Ledger that these steps toward educating people who work in these fields will hopefully result in a greater understanding of these products from the people who buy them.

“I think by educating the workforce, it will eventually lead to a more informed consumer,” Prescott said, also indicating that her “hope was to be able to answer the ‘why’s’ around a lot of herbal medicine.”

Ole Miss told the Clarion Ledger they are awaiting full accreditation for the new program which they expect to come later this year. The first courses of the new program are currently slated to begin in the Fall semester of 2024. 

Mississippi launched their medical cannabis program in January of this year and the market size has increased month over month since, with $4.4 million in medical cannabis products sold in July alone, according to MjBiz Daily. As of August 23, Mississippi cannabis retailers had sold $15.7 million worth of medical cannabis products.

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Hemp advocates and industry leaders last week called on the federal government to ease access to cannabidiol as a House of Representatives subcommittee held a hearing to investigate the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s refusal to regulate CBD as an ingredient in foods, beverages and dietary supplements.

At Thursday’s hearing of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, lawmakers and witnesses criticized the FDA’s refusal to regulate CBD and noted how the agency’s inaction on the subject has impacted individuals and families eager to take advantage of the cannabinoid’s health and wellness benefits. 

“Lack of a federal framework has led to the proliferation of unregulated products, some of which raise significant quality, safety, and other consumer protection concerns,” Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the industry group the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, told the members of the subcommittee.

In opening remarks prepared for the hearing, Republican Representative Lisa McClain, the chair of the subcommittee, noted that “if you buy a CBD consumer product off the shelf today, in many cases there’s no way for the average consumer to verify its purity or even the amount of CBD in it, or rely on FDA’s enforcement of regulations. 

“In fact, one study that tested almost 3,000 CBD products showed that only one-quarter of brands test their CBD products for purity and only sixteen percent of products tested contained exclusively what was stated on their labels,” McClain continued. “That’s because FDA hasn’t regulated CBD as a dietary supplement or food additive in the five years since hemp was legalized.”

Hemp Legalized In 2018

Congress legalized hemp agriculture and commerce five years ago with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. But since then, the FDA has refused to regulate hemp-derived CBD for use in foods, beverages and dietary supplements, and in January announced it would not do so without further legislation from Congress.

“This announcement has led to confusion and uncertainty in the market, which has suppressed the ability for good faith manufacturers to sell CBD products,” she said. “It only benefits bad actors who capitalize on the confusion and the flood of the market with potentially unsafe products. The FDA must do better and use their already existing authority to regulate how derived products you know actually do the job they were signed up to do.”

Witnesses also emphasized how the lack of a regulatory framework for hemp-derived CBD from the FDA has also contributed to the proliferation of products containing intoxicating cannabinoids, most prominently delta-8 THC, which are being sold in unregulated products, sometimes to minors. While none of the witnesses called for the criminalization of these products, they called for strict safety regulations to keep them out of the hands of children.

“In many states, including Kentucky, most delta-8 THC products are sold through unregulated market sources like convenience stores, smoke shops, gas stations, and even can be ordered online. These products are not reliably tested and have been found to contain many impurities,” said Richard A. Badaracco, president-elect of the Kentucky Narcotic Officers Association and a retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent. “Assuming these products remain legal, the optimal approach is following the lead of Kentucky, whose General Assembly this year passed legislation unanimously to strictly regulate these products and keep them out of the hands of minors.”

Paige Figi, founder of the Coalition for Access Now, has been an outspoken advocate of CBD for more than a decade after discovering it significantly reduced the seizures suffered by her daughter Charlotte, who died in 2020 at the age of 13 following a nearly lifelong battle with intractable epilepsy. After watching last week’s hearing from her home in Colorado Springs, Figi called on the FDA to ease access to CBD for families across the country.

“We have been united with families, athletes, seniors, veterans, and others who rely on the benefits of CBD for almost a decade. Today’s hearing shows that common sense, bipartisan reform to push the FDA to do its job and regulate hemp-derived CBD as a dietary supplement is close,” Figi wrote in an email to High Times. “The 45 million Americans who rely on the benefits CBD for their chronic conditions are encouraged that members of Congress will stand up for their constituents to pass legislation that will support access for patients now.”

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A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bill to ensure hemp-derived CBD products are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while on the same day, a Republican representative announced a hearing to examine the agency’s refusal to regulate the cannabinoid following the legalization of hemp five years ago.

In 2018, Congress legalized hemp agriculture and commerce with the passage of that year’s Farm Bill. But since then, the FDA has refused to regulate hemp-derived CBD for use in foods, beverages and dietary supplements, and in January announced it would not do so without further legislation from Congress.

On July 20, U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, all Oregon Democrats, joined Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul to introduce the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act, a bill that would direct the FDA to regulate hemp-derived CBD as an ingredient for foods, beverages and dietary supplements. In a joint statement, the bipartisan group of lawmakers characterized the development as “an action that is essential to protecting consumer safety and treating hemp producers fairly.”

“Despite being legally grown in the United States for nearly five years, hemp and hemp-derived CBD are still in a regulatory gray zone that puts consumers at risk and holds producers back,” Wyden said in a joint statement from the lawmakers. “The FDA says it needs Congress to act. We’ve got the bill to ensure equal and safe access to hemp-derived CBD.”

Federal Law Limits CBD Uses

Currently, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act prohibits any new dietary ingredient, food or beverage from entering the market if it has been studied or approved as a drug. The FDA has the authority to exempt items from this prohibition but has not yet exempted hemp-derived CBD, despite congressional action to legalize the production and sale of the cannabinoid. By exempting hemp-derived CBD from the prohibition, the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act would allow the FDA to regulate hemp-derived CBD like all other new dietary ingredients, foods and beverages.

If passed, the legislation would give hemp-derived CBD products an opportunity to be used in dietary supplements, foods and beverages under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The bill also includes provisions that prioritize consumer safety by requiring manufacturers to comply with all existing federal regulations for products that contain CBD and ensure such products are properly labeled.

Paul, who had a career as an ophthalmologist for more than 15 years before being elected to the Senate, noted many consumers are already using CBD products for their reputed health and wellness benefits.

“Hemp-derived CBD products and businesses have earned their recognition in the marketplace, but the FDA, unfortunately, hasn’t treated them like any other food additive or dietary supplement,” said Paul. “The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act directs the FDA to regulate hemp products properly and provides a huge relief to hemp farmers, processors, and merchants.”

The bipartisan bill is supported by stakeholders in the hemp and CBD industries, including the Oregon Farm Bureau, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association (WSWA), Vote Hemp, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Hemp Industries Association (HIA), National Hemp Growers Association, Realm of Caring, U.S. Hemp Authority (USHA), Veterinary Cannabis Society, Midwest Hemp Council, Colorado Hemp Association, Kentucky Hemp Association, Georgia Hemp Association, iHemp Michigan, and the Virginia Hemp Coalition.

“This bill provides a much-needed pathway for FDA to establish a clear and consistent framework for the production, marketing, and sale of hemp-derived CBD to ensure consumer safety while fostering a thriving, regulated market,” said Jonathan Miller, general counsel of the industry group the U.S. Hemp Roundtable. “We look forward to supporting his efforts and appreciate his longtime commitment to unlocking the full potential of the hemp industry.” 

Michigan Lawmaker Schedules Hearing

Also on Thursday, Michigan Republican Representative Lisa McClain, the chair of the House Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, scheduled a hearing to investigate the FDA’s refusal to regulate CBD for use in dietary supplements, foods and drinks. The hearing, titled “Hemp in the Modern World: The Yearslong Wait for FDA Action,” will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building on Thursday, July 27.

“The FDA has failed for too long to do its job to ensure the safety of legalized hemp-derived products,” McCain said in a statement on Thursday. “Without these regulations, dangerous products could make their way to the shelves while safe and credible CBD products could be prevented from entering the market. We are going to investigate why exactly the FDA has decided to ignore their regulation responsibilities related to CBD and other areas of jurisdiction. We need to ensure that the FDA is not setting what would be a dangerous precedent and using this as an opportunity to seek more authority and resources from Congress.”

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is apparently eyeing new regulations for certain CBD products, with an announcement from the federal agency expected in the coming months. 

The Wall Street Journal, citing agency officials, reported this week that the FDA is “studying whether legal cannabis is safe in food or supplements and plans to make recommendations for how to regulate the growing number of cannabis-derived products in the coming months.” 

“Given what we know about the safety of CBD so far, it raises concerns for FDA about whether these existing regulatory pathways for food and dietary supplements are appropriate for this substance,” Janet Woodcock, the Food and Drug Administration’s principal deputy commissioner, told the Wall Street Journal.

According to the newspaper, Woodcock has “led the agency’s efforts looking at cannabis regulation.”

Reuters reports that, “after weighing the evidence on the compound’s safety, the FDA will decide within months how to regulate legal cannabis and whether that will require new agency rules or new legislation from Congress.” 

The outlet noted that, following the Wall Street Journal’s report on the news, “shares of U.S.-listed cannabis companies were down between 5% and 9% in afternoon trade.” 

CBD products have exploded in the American marketplace over the last four years following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp production. 

But the products have outpaced regulation, which has caused some state and federal officials to scramble in order to play catch up. 

Earlier this year, regulators in Idaho began enforcing a ban of CBD pet supplements, saying that the state’s “new law did not legalize hemp in every setting or product type.”

“Similarly, Idaho law does not recognize hemp as a feed or remedy ingredient. Safe levels of hemp and hemp-derived products in animal feed have not yet been established under federal or state law. As such, these products are not approved feed ingredients and cannot lawfully be added to or incorporated into commercial feed. This includes feeds, treats and remedies intended for pets, livestock, or any other animal,” the Idaho Department of Agriculture said in a memorandum. 

“As hemp manufacturing begins to take place in Idaho, ISDA is working with new hemp licensees and animal feed companies to understand what is legal in the state. Interest in hemp animal feeds and remedies has grown significantly, and these products are known to be available online and in retail stores. We recognize that some states have adopted laws and rules that allow for hemp to be included in human and animal foods,” the deparmtnet added.

The lack of regulation has resulted in some consumers being duped about the CBD products that they are buying.

A study from Johns Hopkins Medicine that was released in July found that many such products are incorrectly labeled. 

The researchers found that 18% of the products they analyzed contained 10% less CBD than what was advertised on the label, while another 58% contained 10% more CBD than what was listed. Less than a quarter of the products contained the same amount of CBD as was advertised. 

“Misleading labels can result in people using poorly regulated and expensive CBD products instead of FDA approved products that are established as safe and effective for a given health condition,” said the study’s lead author, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Tory Spindle.

“Recent research has shown that people who use CBD products containing even small amounts of THC could potentially test positive for cannabis using a conventional drug test,” Spindle added.

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