Florida A&M University (FAMU) board of trustees recently approved a new initiative that positions the institution as a central educational resource on the benefits of medical marijuana use as an alternate health remedy.
The Marijuana Education and Research Initiative is supported by state legislation that grants FAMU a leading role in efforts to educate minority communities not only about the uses of medical marijuana, but also the consequences of illegal drug use, given disparities in the criminal justice system around marijuana criminalization.
Peter Harris, a business and government consultant on economic development and community revitalization issues, will oversee the initiative and serve as director of marijuana projects and the newly established Center for Marijuana Education and Research.
“Given the university’s historical role in educating minority students and facilitating their access to industry, FAMU is in a unique position,” Harris said by email. “As a research institution, FAMU offers a vast platform and is in a unique position to study and understand the science of medical marijuana. Our role is to generate and provide information to scholars, and translate the information for lay communities as well.”
The initiative is a direct result of overwhelming voter consensus to pass the 2016 Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, or Amendment 2, and is championed by the Black Legislative Caucus. The legislation authorizes FAMU’s Division of Research to receive $10 out of every $75 paid for a medical marijuana use identification card in the state. Funds raised will be deposited in the FAMU Medical Marijuana Education Account.
The institution had collected $885,000 back in October, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. Now, more than 190,000 qualified patients have an active ID card, according to a March update from the Office of Medical Marijuana use in the Florida Department of Health.
In addition to partnering with the Florida Department of Health, Harris noted that the Marijuana Education and Research Initiative will work with, among others, a state-wide network of community, faith-based organizations and academic partners, including FAMU researchers and educators in pharmacy, allied health, public health, agricultural, food sciences and more.
