The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy has a new program in the works: a master’s degree in medical cannabis and dietary supplements. The program is slated to launch in fall 2024.
Since the legalization of medical marijuana in Mississippi in 2022, more than 100 dispensaries have opened across the state. This graduate program will serve as a stepping stone to providing more education on medical marijuana as a whole; however, it is not the first of its kind. The University of Maryland introduced the first medical marijuana graduate program in 2019, and hundreds of colleges across the country have followed suit.
UM has maintained the National Center for Natural Products Research in the School of Pharmacy since 1968. The master’s program started development in 2018, when it received its approval from the university and the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, and it is undergoing review for final accreditation by a regional accrediting body.
David Colby, professor of medicinal chemistry in the Department of Biomolecular Sciences in the UM School of Pharmacy, has complete faith in the program and its faculty.
“The School of Pharmacy has tremendous experience in the area of dietary supplements,” Colby said. “This really capitalizes off the strengths of the faculty as well as the scientists in our School of Pharmacy.”
The program will be offered as a two-year online program that is intended to provide training for people who want to move into the dietary supplement industries and those who are partially or currently employed in those industries, such as herbal products, nutritional supplements and medical cannabis. The program will be taught by faculty in the School of Pharmacy.
In order to apply for this program, students need college coursework completed in the sciences, letters of recommendation and a personal statement. These requirements are very similar to many of the other online master’s degree offerings through Ole Miss.
Jonathan Turnage, a senior pharmacy major, believes the program is a necessary change to the university curriculum that helps to destigmatize the study and usage of medical cannabis.
“Because (medical marijuana) is coming to almost every state, I think it is good that we are getting ahead of it and getting a way to legitimize it,” Turnage said. “I think it is one of those things where it can be a way to treat different kinds of conditions that you cannot treat with other dangerous medications. I think it’s a great idea.”
In addition to medical cannabis education, the program will also have a year dedicated to focusing on dietary supplements. Each year, the students will take five classes focused on chemistry, botany and plant genomics. The classes will also emphasize pharmacology, toxicology and formulation.
Nicholas Davis, a hospitality management graduate student, is also in favor of the program being added to the university curriculum.
“I am all for it. It is a new outlet for students, and you never know what could happen in the future,” Davis said.
Colby agreed that this program will better prepare students interested in working in the medical cannabis industry.
“As an undergraduate, you really cannot get training,” Colby said. “You can get training in chemistry or botany, but not something that really focuses on providing you the skill set that you need to be successful and move ahead in the industry. So, that is what we are doing.”
