The legislation, spearheaded by Sen. Kevin Blackwell and co-authored by state Sens. Reginald Jackson, Rod Hickman, Sarita Simmons and Nicole Boyd, represents a milestone in efforts to understand the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis and its impact on patient outcomes.

“We are grateful for the leadership of Gov. Reeves and the tireless efforts of Sen. Blackwell, Sen. Boyd and their colleagues in championing this landmark legislation,” said Robert Welch, director of the university’s National Center for Cannabis Research and Education.

“The establishment of the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Research Program represents a tremendous opportunity to advance scientific knowledge, improve patient care and ultimately enhance the well-being of individuals across our state and the nation.”

The new program at the School of Pharmacy is set to operate under the umbrella of the NCCRE, which is dedicated to advancing scientific understanding and education in the field of cannabis research.

Working with the Mississippi Department of Health’s Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program and patient advocacy groups, program administrators aim to make new information more understandable for health care providers, patients, caregivers, law enforcement and policymakers.

The bill also establishes an advisory board that will oversee research efforts, ensure compliance with regulatory standards and guide the program’s strategic direction.

The program will focus on examining the safety, efficacy and potential therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis for patients suffering from a range of medical conditions. The bill includes funding that will give Ole Miss pharmacy school researchers the resources needed to conduct scientific investigations and explore new avenues for medical cannabis research and educational programs.

“The National Center for Cannabis Research and Education will help to ensure that Mississippi remains at the forefront of natural products research,” said Boyd, a sponsor of the bill. “I am proud of the University of Mississippi for continuing to be a national leader in research excellence.”

The university’s National Center for Natural Products Research and Center for Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management will collaborate with NCCRE in medical cannabis research efforts being planned.

Top: The university’s new Mississippi Medical Cannabis Research Program will focus on examining the safety, efficacy and potential therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis for patients suffering from a range of medical conditions. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

We’ve had high temperatures ranging from the mid 80s to the low 90s today! The evening will remain warm and humid, but we’ll gradually cool down into the mid to upper 60s by Sunday morning. Any rain this evening will diminish overnight. A little patchy fog will be possible. Sunday will be another warm, humid day with highs in the mid to upper 80s. No surprise, but the warm weather will stick around into the month of May. Here’s the latest forecast.

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Mississippi medical cannabis patients may soon notice an easier way to learn about the products they’re buying.

Metrc is the company that handles the state’s seed-to-sale tracking. They started making Retail ID available to businesses to implement in August. It allows for QR codes to be placed on the products.

Metrc’s CEO Michael Johnson explains that the technology links product testing information directly to consumers for expanded visibility and transparency.

He also describes that with a single QR code scan, individuals gain real-time access to product data such as lab test results, Certificate of Analysis (COA), product origin, potency, authenticity, recall status, and supplemental information including cannabinoids, terpenes, cultivar, and photos.

The safety net is there with stringent testing requirements for all Mississippi medical marijuana products.

That being said, Angie Calhoun with the Mississippi Cannabis Patients Alliance explains, that the option to scan a QR code and get details on what you’re buying is like a final check and balance.

“Even in the medical world, they still use the wonky names that are given to cannabis,” said Calhoun. “Well, you know, one company may name something gorilla glue, which is one of those wonky names, and another company may grow gorilla glue, and they may sell it as the same thing, but those plants are very different. Because one may be much higher in THC and the other one lower. ”

We checked in with Kelly’s Green which has both a cultivation facility and dispensaries.

“Our company doesn’t use it yet, but we look forward to using it,” noted CEO Brittany Nicholson.

Nicholson says it will take time to implement but having it as a free option to add to their products will help them and consumers.

“We want to offer as much transparency to the patient as possible, but this is just sort of a more streamlined way to do that,” she said. “It depends on how granular they want to get, but they can use this information to help them make more informed decisions on how they purchase this product.”

Angie Calhoun says that while it is currently optional, her association will push for that to change.

“What we want to see is that, you know, this either becomes law or through our rules and regulations, that this Retail ID be mandatory for all products to have this label on there,” added Calhoun.

For more details on Metrc, click HERE.

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