Tracking patient outcomes is a major focus of the National Center for Cannabis Research and Education (NCCRE), as Mississippi’s medical cannabis program continues to grow.
The state now has over 50,000 registered patients, but no formal system exists to track the health effects of their cannabis use. The NCCRE at the University of Mississippi was established to advance scientific understanding of cannabis, its medical applications and its impact on public health.
Drawing on Ole Miss’s decades-long history as a leader in cannabis research — home to the nation’s only federally approved cannabis cultivation program for much of the past 50 years — the NCCRE conducts clinical studies, policy analysis and educational initiatives. It collaborates with medical professionals, researchers and policymakers to provide evidence-based insights that help shape cannabis regulations and patient care.
One of NCCRE’s newest studies will track 300 patients over several weeks, monitoring their cannabis use, the associated costs and the drug’s effects. Researchers will analyze safety, effectiveness and potential side effects — something that has never been systematically tracked in the state before.
Another team at the center is preparing a new clinical study to examine whether medical cannabis can provide relief for patients who suffer from nerve pain related to diabetes. The trial, conducted in partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, will test a treatment with a high cannabidiol (CBD) to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ratio. This specific formulation is designed to reduce intoxicating effects while still potentially offering pain relief.
Robert Welch, Pharm.D., NCCRE director and one of the researchers involved in the project, said the study will help answer a number of questions.
By carefully tracking patient outcomes, researchers hope to determine not just whether the cannabis formulation provides pain relief but also how it interacts with existing medications and whether it has any unintended side effects. The study is designed to fill critical gaps in medical cannabis research, particularly, for chronic pain conditions like diabetic neuropathy, where treatment options are limited.
“This is going to tell us a lot — does it work in addition to their other meds? Does it not really help that much? And of course, we’ll be looking at safety as well,” Welch said.
The research team hopes that the trial will provide crucial insights — not just for Mississippians but for the broader scientific community looking to understand medical cannabis’ potential benefits.
For patients interested in participating, recruitment details for the study will be released in the coming weeks.
