The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded a $2.51 million contract that includes the agency’s planned cannabis public health messaging initiative, moving the project from the proposal stage into an active federal contract.
The contract was awarded last week to the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA for $2,510,454. It covers 16 separate regulatory science and public health projects and is scheduled to run from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2027.
The Marijuana Herald previously reported on September 21 that FDA intended to award the contract, which includes a project formally titled “Cannabis Public Health Message Testing.” At the time, the contract had not yet been formally awarded.
The newly recorded award confirms that FDA has moved forward with the broader contract.
The $2.51 million is for all 16 projects included in the contract and should not be interpreted as the amount being spent specifically on the cannabis messaging initiative.
Under the FDA statement of work, the cannabis project is designed to develop an evidence-based public health messaging framework through stakeholder engagement and message testing.
Messages are expected to address cannabis product formulations, potency, manufacturing and health effects. FDA identified adolescents, young adults, pregnant and breastfeeding women and older adults as populations warranting particular attention.
The project calls for proposed messages to be tested with consumers and healthcare providers for effectiveness and clarity, as well as for possible unintended consequences. The messages would then be refined based on those findings.
The Reagan-Udall Foundation is also expected to produce a white paper and communications report summarizing the stakeholder process and testing results and outlining potential communication strategies for FDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The cannabis initiative is one component of a much larger FDA contract covering projects involving nicotine use disorder, alcohol use disorder, rare diseases, generic drug quality, medical devices, cosmetics, food inspections and other regulatory issues.
Federal procurement records list the award as Contract No. 75F40126C00214 and show that the full $2.51 million contract amount was obligated when the award was issued.
