A top federal drug agency wants to find new partners who can supply cannabis for research purposes.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) posted a “sources sought” notice on Friday, explaining that it’s looking for capability statements from eligible facilities that are authorized to cultivate the plant by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and can aid with the “acquisition and/or production of cannabis and related materials.”
For decades, NIDA has had just one direct cannabis supplier at the University of Mississippi because DEA had declined to expand the number of authorized producers. But the agency has finally ended that monopoly by approving new licensees.
It’s unclear how many direct suppliers NIDA intends to form a new arrangement with going forward, but the agency listed the basic criteria for a prospective business contract and their responsibilities.
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