The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is touting the cancellation of another marijuana-related federal grant—this time targeting a program that’s long tracked cannabis potency levels in seized illicit products.
The University of Mississippi has been the only federally-authorized cultivator of marijuana in the past. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has funded the University of Mississippi to conduct research on cannabinoid contents such as THC, CBD and CBD.
This contract is now terminated as part of DOGE’s mission to reduce government expenditures significantly.
“In the last two days, agencies terminated 148 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $420M and savings of $198M, including a $143K HHS contract for the ‘potency monitoring of confiscated marijuana samples,'” DOGE said in an X post on Monday.
Update on the Contract
In the past two days, agencies have terminated 148 wasteful contract with a value ceiling of $420M. Savings of $198M were made, including the $143K HHS Contract for “potency Monitoring of Confiscated Marijuana Samples.” pic.twitter.com/MnYPvN6jpl
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) May 6, 2025
NIDA reported that samples of cannabis were submitted to the University of Mississippi by the Drug Enforcement Administration and other state and federal law enforcement agencies.
According to the agency, “Laboratory samples are classified in three categories: Cannabis (plant material), Hashish (dried resin), and Hash Oil (cannabis extraction). “Each sample is analyzed by gas chromatography for the major psychotropic component, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well various cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD).”
In terms of what’s important, data collected over the course of the program show a steady increase in THC content and minimal change in CBD during the last 30 years. The average amount of THC found in samples taken in 1995 was 3.96 percent, while the level in 2022 is 16.14 percent.
According to USAspending.gov, $30,155.76 of the total $142,839.00 contact amount has already been outlaid to the university.
As part of implementing President Obama’s Department of Government Efficiency, cost-efficiency initiative and “implementing government spending sites”, the site states that the contract will be terminated as of 1 May “for the convenience of all parties”
This contract cancellation came about two months after DOGE announced separately the termination of a grant intended to fund an investigation into cannabis usage risks for LGBTQ+ people, non-binary individuals and heterosexual females.
Elon and his DOGE team had been hoped by many advocates that they would cut costs rather than hinder cannabis research. They hoped this was done through targeting agencies, such as the DEA who have continued to criminalize marijuana.
Instead, DEA has ramped up recruitment—recently urging people to join them on the frontlines of the “war on drugs,” even if they currently work as a “coffee barista” or otherwise have a non-law enforcement background.
It was also recently revealed that “marijuana” is one of nearly two dozen “controversial or high-profile topics” that staff and researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are required to clear with higher-ups before writing about, according to a leaked memo from within the federal agency.
Musk said that DOGE is pushing for massive government cuts.
As a response, a Democratic member of Congress filed a law that requires Musk and DOGE staff to be drug tested to keep their “special employee” status.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced it is looking for contractors who can analyze and communicate scientific evidence about medical marijuana with clinicians, the public and the media as part of the Systematically Testing the Evidence of Marijuana project.
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